Key facts
- The M6 Mac mini starts at $899 for a configuration with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
- This represents a $300 price increase compared to the previous M4 Mac mini with the same memory and storage specifications.
- The M6 chip features 12 CPU cores, comprising two 'Super' cores, four P-cores, and six E-cores.
- The M6 Mac mini includes 12 GPU cores, an increase from the 10 cores in previous generations.
- The M6 Mac mini supports up to three external displays.
- The M6 Mac mini's ports include two 10 Gbps USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port on the back.
Apple's M6 Mac mini introduces a new chip and a higher starting price, marking a departure from the value proposition of its predecessors. The M4 Mac mini was lauded as one of Apple's best values, but the M6 model's $899 price tag for 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage represents a $300 increase.
The M6 chip itself is an upgrade, featuring 12 CPU cores (two 'Super' cores, four P-cores, and six E-cores) and 12 GPU cores, an increase from the 10 cores in the M4 and M5. This configuration aims to provide improved performance, with memory bandwidth reaching 153GB/s for 16GB models and 170GB/s for 24GB/32GB configurations. The M6 Mac mini supports up to three external displays.
Physically, the M6 Mac mini retains the design introduced with the M4 generation, featuring a 2-inch height and a 5x5-inch footprint. Connectivity includes two 10 Gbps USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front. The rear panel offers three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port that defaults to 2.5 Gbps but can be optionally configured to 10 Gbps. The Thunderbolt 4 ports offer speeds up to 40 Gbps, while the M5 Pro version featured Thunderbolt 5 ports capable of up to 120 Gbps.