Ports and Connectivity: Nothing Much Has Changed #
Let’s get the easy stuff out of the way first. From the outside, the 2026 Mac mini is physically identical to the 2024 Mac mini. Both have three Thunderbolt ports (version 4 or 5, depending on the processor you choose), two USB Type-C ports, an HDMI output, and an Ethernet jack. Both chassis are 5-inch squares that weigh just 1.5 pounds, so they’ll fit on (or under) even the most crowded desks.
The main connectivity differences pertain to networking. The 2026 model has Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5Gbps Ethernet, while the 2024 model supports Wi-Fi 6E and gigabit Ethernet. (Both can be upgraded to 10Gbps Ethernet, which is quadruple-overkill for most users—if you need it, you don't need me to explain it.)
Ultimately, these networking differences won't matter to most of us. The practical difference between Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 is small, and won’t even apply unless you have a Wi-Fi 7 router. Since the Mac mini is technically portable but probably won’t move from your desk, you should consider connecting it via Ethernet, anyway, rendering wireless speeds moot. So the only real concern here is whether your 2024 1Gbps port is limiting in a way that a 2.5Gbps port would resolve.
Winner: Tie
Memory and Storage: Also More of the Same #
Storage options are the same for both models, ranging from 256GB to 8TB. As is often the case with Macs, the processor you choose will affect your storage options. For instance, you can’t opt for the base Apple M6 processor and upgrade to an 8TB SSD; the M6 model is capped at 4TB.
Memory bandwidth gets a small upgrade for the 2026 models, though the amounts stay the same: 16GB to 64GB. (Note that, as with storage, not all RAM amounts are available with all processor choices.) Bandwidth is up slightly; it now starts at 170Gbps, and tops out at 370Gbps for the M5 Pro 2026 model, compared with 120Gbps to 273Gbps for the 2024 models. Peak bandwidth depends on which processor and memory amount you choose.
Winner: Tie
Processors: M6 and M5 Pro Are Clear Wins for AI Computing #
As with most Mac mini evolutions in the past, the main improvements in the 2026 model are in the processor options. The base configuration of the 2026 Mac mini has an Apple M6 CPU, a brand-new chip introduced this week, while you can opt for a higher-end configuration with the M5 Pro. The 2024 Mac mini uses either an M4 or an M4 Pro.
Now, here’s where things get a bit tricky. As with previous generations of Apple silicon, it’s what comes *after *the model number that really counts. So, the M5 Pro is actually a more powerful processor than the M6. (For more on why, including a discussion of the chip architecture involved, see our explainer.)
That means that if you’re trying to decide if an upgrade is worth it, you really need to compare the specs of the processor in your 2024 Mac mini to the specs of the processor you’d configure a 2026 Mac mini with.
For example, if you have the base M4 version of the 2024 Mac mini and are looking to buy an M5 Pro-equipped 2026 Mac mini, the upgrade is definitely worth it. You’d get at least five extra CPU cores and six more GPU cores, and those could be upped further at the time of purchase, if you wanted—to a total of 18 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores. This will make a difference in AI processing and in pretty much every other modern, demanding workflow.
If you’re looking to upgrade to the base M6 version, though, the benefits aren’t as massive. The M6 does have two extra CPU and GPU cores, but the main improvements stem from a newer chip architecture, which doesn’t always translate into a performance boost across all applications. Apple does offer some guidance here, however. The company claims the M6 offers up to four times faster AI performance and twice-as-fast graphics performance than the Mac mini with M4.
We haven’t tested these claims yet, but it’s safe to say that, based on specs alone, the processors in the new model represent a meaningful improvement for the types of AI workloads people are increasingly using their Mac minis for.
**Winner: 2026 Mac mini **
Pricing: The Mac mini Rises to a Higher Base #
The Mac mini (the M6 base model) now starts at $899, a $100 increase over its predecessor. That’s a clear win for the 2024 model, but it reflects the reality that production costs for PCs and many other tech products have risen over the past two years, due to both general inflation and the memory shortage induced by AI data-center demand.
Looked at another way, the 2026 Mac mini pricing is, effectively, even *higher *than that $100 boost would suggest, because Apple stopped selling the original base configuration of the 2024 Mac Mini earlier this year. That model, at $599, got you an Apple M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The $799 Mac mini M4 had already become the new floor before Apple announced the $899 Apple Mac mini based on M6.
As for what you can expect from Apple's upticked 2026 configs, the price climbs quickly: Stepping up to an M5 Pro processor will double the price, and a fully loaded configuration is a cool $6,799. (Remember, the Mac mini is just a desktop: You also have to budget for a new monitor and new peripherals if you need them.)
Winner: 2024 Mac mini