Mac mini M6 review: fast and tiny, but $899 ends the bargain era

Engadget's review of Apple's new Mac mini M6 finds a machine that remains powerful and compact, but no longer the standout bargain it once was. The publication notes that the 2024 Mac mini started at $599; the new M6 version begins at $899. That price shift, according to the review, stems from a period when Mac minis sold quickly—there was no M5 version—while storage and memory costs rose sharply.

The lineup itself is a bit confusing. Engadget says buyers can choose an M6 chip with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, or a more powerful M5 Pro with up to 18 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores. Memory options differ: the M6 supports up to 32GB with 170 GB/s bandwidth, while the M5 Pro reaches 64GB and 307 GB/s. The review suggests most users will be satisfied with the $899 M6, but those handling large files or rendering should consider the M5 Pro. For more power, Engadget points to the $2,499 Mac Studio, which the review says has replaced older Mac Pro desktops.

Apple's biggest claimed upgrade centers on local AI processing. According to the review, Apple says the M6 is 13.5 times faster than the M1 for LLM prompt processing in LM Studio, and the M5 Pro is 22.3 times faster. Apple also claims the M6 is 2.3 times faster at Excel work than the M1 Mac mini, while the M5 Pro is 4.6 times quicker. Engadget describes those as meaningful after six years of Apple Silicon progress, though not as dramatic as the AI figures.

The design is unchanged: a five-inch by five-inch case weighing about 1.5 pounds. Engadget calls it shockingly small and says it feels more like an oversized Apple TV than a computer. The review notes one lingering annoyance: the power button remains on the bottom, next to the rear ports, which can make hard resets awkward if the machine is tucked away. Most Mac keyboards have a power button, so it is not a major issue for regular use.

Ports include two USB-C USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI connection on the front, plus a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet jack, power port, and three USB-C Thunderbolt ports on the back. Engadget reports that the M6 model uses Thunderbolt 4 with up to 40 Gb/s, while the higher-end model has Thunderbolt 5 with up to 120 Gb/s. The review notes the source text refers to that higher-end system once as "M6 Pro," though it is otherwise described as the M5 Pro. There is no SD card slot; Engadget says you must move up to a Mac Studio for that.

In benchmarks, Engadget's review unit—an M6 with 24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD—was 16.5 percent faster than the previous M4 Pro Mac mini in Geekbench 6 single-threaded testing. The older M4 Pro still had a slight edge in multi-threaded tests. The M6 review unit was 6 percent faster than an M5 MacBook Pro in single-threaded Geekbench 6 and 18 percent faster in multi-threaded, with a GPU score 30 percent higher. In games, Engadget measured Cyberpunk 2077 at an average 55 fps at 1080p with default Mac settings, reaching 60 fps after lowering settings, and Lies of P at 70 fps at 1440p with maxed settings. A 4K-to-1080p transcode took 18 seconds, slightly better than the 23 seconds recorded on an M5 MacBook Air and faster than the ASUS ProArt PX16, according to the review.

Engadget says the M6 Mac mini handled everyday multitasking—many browser tabs, video calls, Slack, and photo editing—without issue, and it did not produce the loud fan noise the reviewer noticed on the M4 Pro Mac mini during heavy tasks. The main caveat is value. The review warns that memory upgrades are expensive: $200 to reach 24GB and $400 for 32GB, which brings the total to $1,299. At that point, Engadget suggests considering the $1,699 M5 Pro model with 24GB of RAM.

The bottom line from Engadget: the M6 Mac mini is still the best small desktop for most people who need a Mac, but at $899 it feels like a serious purchase rather than the fun, affordable entry point earlier models provided. The reviewer does not expect a return to $599 soon.