For one, the whole package is incredibly thin, with the display housing being a mere 11.5 millimeters (about 0.45 inches) thick. Whereas the new M1 Mac Mini looks exactly like the model before it, the new iMac has been completely redesigned.

The iMac is very distinguishable from the Mac Mini.

Great as that is, the sleek space gray aluminum design doesn’t account for monitors or keyboards, all of which need to be purchased separately, reflecting its history as a computer designed for Windows switchers who likely already had these accessories. It easily stays out of the way in places with limited space and the fans are quiet as a whisper. At 2.6 pounds and 1.4 inches in thickness, the Mac Mini is a thin slab of metal that is similar to a super-compact cable box.Ī highlight for us in our review, the Mac Mini is ideal for sitting under a monitor or at the side of a desk. Designīoth the iMac and Mac Mini are made of aluminum and are designed as desktops, but the form factor could not be more different between the two. After all, Apple devices rarely come cheap. If you’re in the market for a new machine, take a look at the best iMac deals and the best Mac Mini sales available now. Weighing in features like design, performance, and our overall impressions of the new Mac Mini, we’ll help you decide which is right for your setup at work or home. Which one is best will depend on what type of user you are, hence the need to compare them. We probably would have never compared these two in the past, but since both are now running Apple’s M1 chip, they offer very similar core experiences.

In this guide, we put up the specs on the newest, refreshed Mac Mini against the iMac.

The Mac Mini is the best deal (unless …).

Mac mini mid 2010 processor upgrade