The Latest M4 Mac mini Teardown Shows A New Cooling Solution With A Spiraling Heatsink, A Separate Board Sporting The Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Chip & More

Apple had to bring upon some ‘magic’ engineering to make sure that its latest M4 Mac mini becomes significantly smaller than previous-generation models. Getting a closer look inside the compact machine, we find numerous internal changes and a revamped cooling solution that allows the redesigned computer to run cool while flaunting a smaller footprint.

User-replaceable storage and a single heatpipe solution make up the M4 Mac mini internals, but be careful when removing the bottom panel

One of the hosts of the YouTube channel Max Tech learned the hard way when removing the M4 Mac mini’s bottom black panel, and in their uncontrollable excitement, the part cracked. Regardless, this setback did not deter the content creator from getting inside and he noticed a circular disk with multiple holes to direct hot and cold air, both from the same path, which is a clever engineering feat. We can also see a few antennas that help boost the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signal.

The M4 Mac mini also ships with a smaller secondary motherboard that features the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, along with a spiraling heatsink that we later learned is connected to just a single heatpipe but with a large metal plate. With this configuration, paired with the M4’s efficiency, the Mac mini manages to beat the MacBook Pro sporting the same SoC in the Premiere Pro 4K Export test while also delivering a respectable gaming experience in Death Stranding at ‘Very High’ settings.

One major change that surprised us is that the M4 Mac mini has user-swappable storage, but the slot appears to be an uncommon form factor, which is no surprise, as Apple has adopted this approach in different products too. However, the 256GB storage module features not one but two 128GB NAND chips, allowing the M4 Mac mini to obtain higher read and write speeds. While removing the heatsink requires getting access to the other side of the machine, the two front-facing Thunderbolt 4 ports can be screwed off, bringing in another layer of convenience.

The entire PCB bears a sandwiched design, allowing Apple to save up on internal space, which reduced the M4 Mac mini’s size drastically. If this teardown has impressed you with how Apple downsized the M4 Mac mini while still equipping it with powerful internals, then you will definitely be surprised to learn that the 16GB unified RAM and 256GB storage model, which is the base configuration launched for just $599, but we have a sweeter deal for you.

Amazon has shaved $30 off on the starting price, meaning that the M4 Mac mini starts from just $549.99, with the 512GB model listed at $749.99 after a $50 discount. Unfortunately, there are limited units available for the higher storage configuration, so you should hurry before time runs out.