Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) vs Apple Mac mini (M4 or M4 Pro)

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iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) compared with Mac mini (M4 or M4 Pro)
AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)AppleMac mini (M4 or M4 Pro)
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2013November 2024
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core i5-4570R, Intel Core i5-4570S or Intel Core i7-4770SApple M4 or Apple M4 Pro
CPU cores410, 12 or 14
CPU threads4 or 8–
GraphicsIntel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 or NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M (1 GB GDDR5)10-core GPU, 16-core GPU or 20-core GPU
AI engine (NPU)–38 TOPS
Memory8 GB or 16 GB16 GB, 24 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB (better)
Storage256 GB to 1 TB256 GB to 8 TB (better)
CPU2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz, or 2.9 GHz quad-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz; the upper configuration supports a 3.1 GHz quad-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHzM4: 10-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores; M4 Pro: 12-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, or 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
GPUIntegrated Intel Iris Pro graphics on the 2.7 GHz configuration; NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 1 GB GDDR5 on the 2.9 GHz and optional Core i7 configurationsM4: 10-core GPU; M4 Pro: 16-core or 20-core GPU; hardware-accelerated ray tracing
AI engine–16-core Neural Engine
Memory bandwidth–M4: 120GB/s; M4 Pro: 273GB/s
Memory type1600 MHz DDR3; 8 GB (two 4 GB modules), configurable to 16 GB (two 8 GB modules) at purchase; memory is not user-accessible–
Storage type1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive; optional 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB or 512 GB flash storage on either base processor. Apple's launch notice confirms PCIe flash storage.SSD
Media engine–Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; video decode engine; video encode engine; ProRes encode and decode engine; AV1 decode
Display
Screen size21.5″None built in
Resolution1920 × 1080–
PanelIPS LCD–
Display typeLED-backlit display with IPS technology and support for millions of colours–
Display featuresFully laminated glass and anti-reflective coating; Target Display Mode via a separately sold Thunderbolt cable. Apple does not publish brightness or refresh rate in the model's specification sheet.–
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack3 × Thunderbolt 4, 2 × USB-C, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet1 Gb/s1 Gb/s
External displaysUp to 1Up to 3 (better)
Wi-Fi802.11acWi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth4.05.3
Front ports–2 × USB-C with USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s); 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
CameraFaceTime HD–
Back portsFour USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports with Mini DisplayPort output, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone and optical digital audio output; Kensington lock slot. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI need separately sold adapters.M4: 3 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) with Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s) and DisplayPort; M4 Pro: 3 × Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) with Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s), USB 4 and DisplayPort; HDMI with multichannel audio output; Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45), configurable to 10Gb Ethernet
External displaysBuilt-in display at native resolution alongside one external display up to 2560 × 1600; extended desktop and video mirroringM4: up to three (two at up to 6K 60Hz over Thunderbolt, plus one at up to 5K 60Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K 60Hz over HDMI), or two (one at up to 5K 60Hz plus one at up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz); M4 Pro: up to three at up to 6K 60Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI, or two (one at up to 6K 60Hz plus one at up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz)
SpeakersStereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphoneBuilt-in speaker
MicrophonesDual microphonesNone built in
Keyboard and mouseApple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse; optional Magic Trackpad–
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneCompact
Weight5.68 kg0.67 kg (better)
Width × depth × height528 × 175 × 450 mm127 × 127 × 50 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailDimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. A built-in VESA mount version was also available.–
Power supply100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phaseBuilt-in; 100–240V AC; 155W maximum continuous power
Power use–M4 with 16GB and 256GB: 4W idle, 65W maximum; M4 Pro with 64GB and 8TB: 5W idle, 140W maximum
NoiseApple's operator-position sound pressure: 12 dB at idle and during hard-drive access5 dBA sound pressure at idle (operator position)
Colours–Silver
MaterialsRecyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight–
In the boxiMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and power lead; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife were included at launchMac mini, power lead (1.8 m)

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