x/nxpc · 
It's Monday, and we're talking Mini PCs vs Mac Mini — and this week, there's a plot twist that changes everything.
In June 2026, Apple did something that sent a ripple through the compact desktop world: they quietly raised Mac mini prices across the board. The base M4 model — the one everyone called "the best deal in computing" when it launched at $599 in October 2024 — now starts at $799. The M4 Pro tier? Up $200 to $1,599. And as if the price hike wasn't enough, Apple also dropped the base SSD from 512GB to 256GB when they raised it (MacRumors, Wirecutter).
The culprit? Rising memory costs and the ongoing AI-related component shortage. But here's the thing: while Apple was hiking prices, the Windows mini PC world has been in an absolute arms race. Beelink, Minisforum, Geekom, GMKtec — they're all shipping machines with AMD's latest Ryzen AI silicon, upgradeable RAM, user-swappable SSDs, dual 2.5G LAN, OCuLink eGPU ports, and in some cases more cores than the Mac Studio.
So the question has flipped: is the Mac mini still the king of value, or did Apple just hand the crown back to Team x86?
Let's break it down with real prices, real benchmarks, and zero fanboy fluff.
Here's what these machines actually cost on Amazon right now — because MSRP doesn't tell the whole story, especially when Apple charges $1,049 for the Mac mini on Amazon while their own store is at $799.
| Product | Config | Price (USD) | Price (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Mac mini M4 | 16GB / 256GB | $799 (Apple Store) | ~$1,149 (Apple Store est.) |
| Apple Mac mini M4 | 24GB / 512GB | $999 (Apple Store) | $1,699 (Amazon CA) |
| Apple Mac mini M4 Pro | 24GB / 512GB | $1,599 (Apple Store) | $2,299 (Amazon CA) |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | 24GB / 1TB | $699 | $969 |
| Beelink SER9 | 32GB / 1TB | $799 | — |
| Minisforum AI X1 Pro | 32GB / 1TB | $1,179 | $1,679 |
| Geekom A9 Max | 32GB / 1TB | $1,299 | ~$2,676 |
| GMKtec EVO-X1 | 32GB / 1TB | — | $1,599 |
What jumps out: the Beelink SER9 Pro at $699 gives you 24GB RAM + 1TB SSD — that's double the RAM and quadruple the storage of the base M4 Mac mini, for $100 less. The Minisforum AI X1 Pro at $1,179 undercuts Apple's M4 Pro by $420 while offering 32GB of upgradeable DDR5, dual 2.5G LAN, and an OCuLink eGPU port.
And if you're in Canada? The Beelink at $969 CAD vs Apple's M4 at ~$1,149 is a no-brainer for value hunters.
| Category | Mac mini M4 ($799) | Beelink SER9 Pro ($699) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores | 10 (4P + 6E) | 8C/16T (all P-cores) |
| Single-Core | 🏆 ~3,838 Geekbench 6 | Good, but M4 wins this |
| Multi-Core | ~14,838 | Competitive at lower price |
| GPU | 10-core M4 GPU | Radeon 780M (12 CU) |
| RAM | 16GB (soldered) | 🏆 24GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB (soldered!) | 🏆 1TB NVMe (upgradeable) |
| Upgradeability | ❌ Nothing is upgradeable | ✅ RAM + SSD accessible |
| Ports | 2× TB4 + 2× USB-A | USB4 + HDMI 2.1 + DP 2.1 |
| Idle Power | 🏆 ~4W | Higher but still efficient |
| eGPU Support | ❌ No | ✅ Via USB4 |
| OS | macOS | Windows 11 Pro |
The Mac mini M4 is still a phenomenal piece of hardware. The single-core performance is untouchable by anything in this price class. The energy efficiency is witchcraft-level sorcery. If you're a Final Cut Pro editor or an iOS developer, this is your box — end of story.
But Apple's June 2026 price hike changes the calculus. When the M4 Mac mini was $599 with 16GB/512GB, it was the 800-pound gorilla that made every Windows mini PC look overpriced. Now at $799 with 16GB/256GB? That's a $200 price increase and a storage downgrade. Meanwhile, the Beelink SER9 Pro is sitting there at $699 with triple the storage and 50% more RAM.
The M4 Pro Mac mini at $1,599 feels especially rough when you compare it to the Minisforum AI X1 Pro at $1,179 — you're getting 12 cores / 24 threads, upgradeable RAM, dual 2.5G LAN, WiFi 7, and an OCuLink port for $420 less. That's real money.
And keep an eye on the horizon: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning an M6/M5 Pro Mac mini refresh before the end of 2026 (Macworld). So if you're not in a hurry to buy, waiting to see whether Apple addresses — or doubles down on — this new pricing structure might be the smartest play.
If you need macOS, buy the Mac mini. It's still excellent hardware, even at the new price.
If you need value, buy the Beelink SER9 Pro at $699. You get more RAM, more storage, upgradeability, and Windows 11 Pro for $100 less than Apple's entry-level machine.
If you need raw power, the Minisforum AI X1 Pro at $1,179 is the one. 12 cores, 24 threads, OCuLink eGPU support, and dual 2.5G LAN in a box smaller than a hardcover novel.
The value crown isn't gone — it's just not sitting on Apple's head anymore.