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Apple Mac mini (M4)

Ranked #1 of 50 in Most energy-efficient desktop PCs, ranked on official ENERGY STAR power figures. Here is every spec we scored, where it came from, and how it compares.

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#1 · Top pick

Apple Mac mini (M4)

Best for: Official TEC 12 kWh, official sleep 0.6 W

10.0/10

What we like

  • Official ENERGY STAR record lists a TEC of 12 kWh.
  • Official ENERGY STAR record lists sleep-mode power of 0.6 W.

Watch out for

  • Official ratings are for the certified configuration shown; other official configurations of this model can list different TEC, memory or processor figures.

Score breakdown

Official TEC 45%
Official sleep power 30%
Official short-idle power 25%
Official TEC12 kWh
Official sleep power0.6 W
Official short-idle power2.8 W
Official ENERGY STAR unique ID4,513,878
Official model nameMac mini (M4)
Official model numberA3238
Official product typeDesktop
Official TEC12 kWh
Official sleep mode power0.6 W
Official short-idle power2.8 W
Official long-idle power2.4 W
Official off-mode power0.1 W
Official system memory16 GB
Official CPU cores10
Official processor brandApple
Official processor nameApple M4
Official CPU base clock3.9 GHz
Official storage technologySSD
Official ENERGY STAR date certified2025-10-16T00:00:00.000
Official touch screenNo
Official internal PSU rated power155 W
Other official certified configurationsThe ENERGY STAR record lists 2 official certified configurations under this official model. This page uses the official configuration with the lowest official TEC (12 kWh). Other official TEC values listed for this model include 14.3.
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Apple Mac mini (M4) head-to-head

Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro)
9.9/10
#2 · Official TEC 15 kWh, official sleep 0.7 W
Apple Mac mini (M6)
9.9/10
#3 · Official TEC 12.9 kWh, official sleep 0.7 W
HP Z2 Mini G1a Workstation
9.8/10
#4 · Official TEC 2.8 kWh, official sleep 1.1 W
Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini 01Q8X10
9.8/10
#5 · Official TEC 17.9 kWh, official sleep 0.8 W
Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro)
9.7/10
#6 · Official TEC 19.2 kWh, official sleep 0.8 W
ASUS NUC14MLK
9.7/10
#7 · Official TEC 15.3 kWh, official sleep 1.3 W
Intel NUC11ATK
9.7/10
#8 · Official TEC 20.3 kWh, official sleep 0.6 W
Lenovo ThinkCentre neo 50q Gen 7
9.7/10
#9 · Official TEC 15.4 kWh, official sleep 1.3 W
Lenovo ThinkCentre neo 50q QC
9.7/10
#10 · Official TEC 14.7 kWh, official sleep 1.4 W
Lenovo Yoga Mini 01IPH11
9.6/10
#11 · Official TEC 16.9 kWh, official sleep 1.4 W
HP Pro Mini 260 G9 Desktop PC
9.5/10
#12 · Official TEC 19.7 kWh, official sleep 1.2 W
Apple Mac Studio (M4 Max)
9.4/10
#13 · Official TEC 23.2 kWh, official sleep 1.1 W
ASUS NUC14RVS
9.4/10
#14 · Official TEC 20.2 kWh, official sleep 1.5 W
ASUS NUC16WCK
9.4/10
#15 · Official TEC 18 kWh, official sleep 2 W
ASUS NUC15CRL
9.3/10
#16 · Official TEC 21.5 kWh, official sleep 1.7 W
ASUS NUC15CRS
9.3/10
#17 · Official TEC 20.4 kWh, official sleep 1.8 W
HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC
9.3/10
#18 · Official TEC 22.4 kWh, official sleep 1.5 W
MSI Cubi B206
9.3/10
#19 · Official TEC 20.4 kWh, official sleep 2 W
Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)
9.2/10
#20 · Official TEC 26.9 kWh, official sleep 0.8 W
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max)
9.2/10
#21 · Official TEC 24.7 kWh, official sleep 1.3 W
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra)
9.2/10
#22 · Official TEC 27.5 kWh, official sleep 0.9 W
ASUS NUC13ANH
9.2/10
#23 · Official TEC 23.4 kWh, official sleep 1.8 W
ASUS NUC16GDK
9.2/10
#24 · Official TEC 23.3 kWh, official sleep 1.9 W
Dell Pro Micro Essential PVM1265
9.2/10
#25 · Official TEC 25.7 kWh, official sleep 1 W
Lenovo ThinkCentre neo 50q Gen 6
9.2/10
#26 · Official TEC 22.7 kWh, official sleep 1.7 W
Lenovo ThinkCentre X Ultra
9.2/10
#27 · Official TEC 26.1 kWh, official sleep 0.8 W
ASUS NUC14MNK
9.1/10
#28 · Official TEC 23.1 kWh, official sleep 2.1 W
HP OmniDesk Mini Desktop PC M05
9.1/10
#29 · Official TEC 21.1 kWh, official sleep 2.4 W
HP Z2 Mini G9 Workstation Desktop PC
9.0/10
#30 · Official TEC 9.7 kWh, official sleep 1.1 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tiny
9.0/10
#31 · Official TEC 11.3 kWh, official sleep 0.8 W
MSI Cubi B213
8.9/10
#32 · Official TEC 25.6 kWh, official sleep 2.2 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tower Gen 2
8.8/10
#33 · Official TEC 9.2 kWh, official sleep 2.2 W
MSI Cubi B032
8.8/10
#34 · Official TEC 27.3 kWh, official sleep 2.4 W
HP Z2 Mini G1i Workstation
8.7/10
#35 · Official TEC 5.8 kWh, official sleep 3.8 W
Intel NUC12WSH
8.7/10
#36 · Official TEC 27.6 kWh, official sleep 2.6 W
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75s Gen 6
8.7/10
#37 · Official TEC 17.1 kWh, official sleep 3.1 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tiny Gen 2
8.7/10
#38 · Official TEC 11.7 kWh, official sleep 1.1 W
ASUS NUC14LNS
8.6/10
#39 · Official TEC 28.1 kWh, official sleep 3.2 W
Dell Precision 3280 CFF
8.2/10
#40 · Official TEC 7.6 kWh, official sleep 4.3 W
HP Z2 SFF G1i Workstation
7.7/10
#41 · Official TEC 8.8 kWh, official sleep 5.8 W
HP Z2 Tower G9 Workstation Desktop PC
7.5/10
#42 · Official TEC 19.4 kWh, official sleep 2.6 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P2 Tower
7.5/10
#43 · Official TEC 21.4 kWh, official sleep 1.5 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tower
7.3/10
#44 · Official TEC 23.4 kWh, official sleep 1.4 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra SFF G2
7.2/10
#45 · Official TEC 22.4 kWh, official sleep 2.5 W
Dell Precision 3680 Tower
7.0/10
#46 · Official TEC 16.7 kWh, official sleep 3.2 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra
6.9/10
#47 · Official TEC 20.8 kWh, official sleep 2.8 W
Lenovo ThinkStation P2 Tower Gen 2
6.8/10
#48 · Official TEC 24.6 kWh, official sleep 2.2 W
HP Z2 SFF G9 Workstation Desktop PC
6.7/10
#49 · Official TEC 25.2 kWh, official sleep 2.3 W
HP Z2 Tower G1i Workstation
5.7/10
#50 · Official TEC 19.3 kWh, official sleep 6.6 W