Apple’s High Power Mode is now available on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, as well as the Mac mini equipped with the new M4 Pro chip. Previously, this feature was reserved for Macs with Apple’s top-tier “Max” chips, making this a big step for those rocking the “Pro” models.

When it was introduced during the white plastic heyday of peak iPod-era Apple, the Mac mini was pitched as the cheapest way to buy into the Mac ecosystem. It was $499. And despite some fluctuation (as high as $799 for the entry-level 2018 mini, $599 for this year's refresh), the Mac mini has stayed the cheapest entry-level Mac ever since.

Apple provided me with two very different Mac Mini units. This first review is focused on the standard M4 model, which includes a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and the default 16GB of memory. My machine has 512GB of storage,