I bought the M4 Mac mini instead of waiting for the M5. Here’s Why Creators Should Stop Worshipping the Next Upgrade.
- George Tatakis
- Jun 23
- 15 min read
There is a particular kind of procrastination that feels very intelligent.
It looks like research.
It sounds like planning.
It has tabs open with benchmarks, YouTube comparisons, Reddit discussions, leaked roadmaps, buying guides, and rumours about the M5 Mac mini, the M6 Mac mini, and probably, if you look hard enough, the M7 Mac mini as well.
But at some point, it stops being research.
It becomes avoidance.
I recently bought an M4 Mac mini with 24GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD, paired with an Apple Studio Display. I did not buy the base model. I did not buy the M4 Pro. I did not wait for the M5 Mac mini. And I definitely did not wait for whatever M6 or M7 version will eventually make this one look old on paper.
I bought the machine because I needed to work.
More specifically, I needed to edit video in DaVinci Resolve, and my base M1 iMac 24-inch with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD was no longer making that pleasant. It was becoming almost impossible.
This is not a generic tech review. I am not a computer reviewer. I am a black-and-white photographer and filmmaker. I use a Leica Q, natural light, and a deliberately stripped-down working method. My work is not built around constantly changing equipment. It is built around using the right tool long enough for the tool to disappear.
That is the way I think about cameras.
It is also the way I now think about computers.
My setup
The Mac I bought is the M4 Mac mini with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB unified memory and 512GB SSD.
In Greece, the entry-level M4 Mac mini was around €700 at the time I was looking. I did not buy that one. I bought the 24GB / 512GB model, which cost me approximately €1,250.
In the US, the M4 Mac mini has often been discussed as starting from $599 for the original entry configuration, while the M4 Mac mini with 24GB memory and 512GB SSD is commonly listed around $999. Prices change, and Apple’s configurations vary by market and availability, but that gives a useful reference point.
The display I bought is the standard glass Apple Studio Display with the tilt-adjustable stand. I looked at the nano-texture version as well, but for my studio it did not make sense. I do not have bright windows or lamps shining directly into the screen. So I did not see a real reason to pay extra for nano-texture glass.
Useful links for the setup:
What I was upgrading from
My previous desktop was the base M1 iMac 24-inch, with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD.
I still think the M1 iMac is a beautiful machine. For writing, browsing, email, basic photo work, and general everyday use, it is still absolutely fine. The problem was not that the M1 suddenly became bad. The problem was that my work changed.
When I started doing more serious video editing, especially in DaVinci Resolve, the limitations became very clear.
I was editing at 720p timeline resolution, at half playback resolution, and even then I had to be careful. I had to use fewer effects than I wanted. I had to avoid anything too demanding. Tracking? Smart masks? Forget it. I could not work freely. I had to negotiate with the computer.
That is the point where an upgrade stops being a luxury.
A machine becomes expensive when it slows down work that could otherwise produce income, finished videos, better films, or simply less frustration.
Why I did not buy a laptop
I also own an M1 MacBook Air. It is still a great laptop.
For browsing, writing, travel, emails, light Lightroom work, and general portable use, I have no reason to replace it. In fact, I almost never edit video or photography on a laptop anymore. My serious editing happens at a desk.
This is important because many people buy computers for an imaginary version of their life.
They imagine themselves editing films in cafés, grading footage on aeroplanes, finishing client work on trains, and living in an Apple commercial.
But I know how I work.
I sit at a desk. I use a proper screen. I want storage attached. I want a clean setup. I want the machine to stay in one place and do the heavy work there.
So buying a MacBook Pro would have meant paying for portability, which I do not really use for my most demanding work. The M1 MacBook Air remains enough for laptop use. The desktop was the bottleneck.
That made the Mac mini the obvious choice.
Why not the base M4 Mac mini?
The base M4 Mac mini is probably one of the best-value computers Apple has made in years. For many people, it is more than enough.
But I was upgrading from an 8GB M1 iMac that was already struggling in DaVinci Resolve. Buying another low-memory Mac would have been a strange kind of false economy.
The problem with Apple Silicon is that you cannot upgrade the memory later. You decide when you buy the machine. That decision matters.
I did not need the most expensive Mac mini. But I did need enough memory to stop thinking about memory every time I opened Resolve.
That is why I chose 24GB RAM.
For photography, 16GB may often be enough. For light video, 16GB may also be fine. But my problem was not Lightroom. My problem was DaVinci Resolve, effects, grading, masks, tracking, and timelines that needed room to breathe.
The 24GB version felt like the sensible middle point.
Not the cheapest. Not the most expensive. Not the fantasy machine. The useful one.
Why not the M4 Pro Mac mini?
The M4 Pro Mac mini is clearly more powerful.
It has more GPU performance, better memory bandwidth, and Thunderbolt 5. If you do heavy 6K or 8K video, serious Fusion work, large multicam projects, high-end commercial post-production, or you simply know you need the extra power, then the M4 Pro makes sense.
But that was not my situation.
My work is not a benchmark. My work is a set of real tasks. I need to edit videos for my YouTube channel, client work, short films, cultural projects, and documentary-style material. I need the timeline to be responsive. I need DaVinci Resolve not to punish me every time I try to use a tracking mask. I need the machine to let me make decisions as a filmmaker rather than constantly compromise as a technician.
For that, the M4 with 24GB RAM seemed like enough.
And this is where many creators lose money. They compare the computer they need to the computer that exists. Of course, there is always a better one. There is always a Pro, a Max, an Ultra, a Studio, a new chip, a new leak, a new rumour.
But the question is not, “What is the most powerful machine Apple sells?”
The question is, “What machine removes my actual bottleneck?”
For me, that was the M4 Mac mini with 24GB RAM.
Why 512GB SSD is enough — but only barely
I did not buy the 256GB model. I have lived with 256GB on the M1 iMac, and I know what that feels like.
It feels like cleaning a tiny apartment every three days because there is nowhere to put anything.
512GB is not huge, especially for video. But I do not intend to store entire video projects permanently on the internal drive. Video work belongs on external SSDs, archives, and proper storage systems. The internal SSD should hold macOS, applications, cache where needed, and active working files.
Would 1TB be nicer? Of course.
But Apple’s storage upgrades are expensive, and after a point, I would rather put money into external drives that can move from computer to computer.
So 512GB is not luxurious. It is the minimum I was comfortable with.
The key is discipline: do not treat the internal drive like an attic. Treat it like a working table. When the work is finished, clear it.
The M5 Mac mini question
Now we come to the trap.
Should I have waited for the M5 Mac mini?
This is the question that probably brought many people to this article. And it is a fair question. The M4 Mac mini will eventually be replaced. The M5 Mac mini will arrive. Then the M6 Mac mini. Then the M7 Mac mini. And every single time, the current machine will look slightly less exciting than the one coming next.
This is how technology works.
The M5 Mac mini will probably be faster. It may have better GPU performance. It may improve AI-related tasks. It may have configuration changes. It may offer better value at some point.
But none of that helps me edit a video today.
Waiting for the M5 Mac mini makes sense if your current computer is working well, your projects are not suffering, and you are not in a hurry. If your machine is fine, waiting can be rational.
But if your current computer is actively blocking your work, waiting becomes a very elegant excuse.
In my case, DaVinci Resolve was not “slightly slower than ideal.” It was limiting the way I edited. I was already reducing timeline resolution, reducing playback quality, avoiding effects, and avoiding features I wanted to use.
That is not a good creative state.
If I waited for the M5, I would not be saving money. I would be paying with time.
M4 vs M5 vs M6 vs M7: the real question
The bigger issue is not really M4 vs M5.
The bigger issue is whether your creative life is always waiting for permission from the next tool.
Today the question is: Should I buy the M4 Mac mini or wait for the M5 Mac mini?
Soon it will be: Should I buy the M5 Mac mini or wait for the M6 Mac mini?
Then: Should I wait for the M7 Mac mini?
At some point, this becomes absurd.
There will always be a next chip. Apple’s entire business depends on there being a next chip. Reviewers depend on the next chip. YouTubers depend on the next comparison. Search traffic depends on the next buying guide.
Your work does not.
Your work depends on having a tool that is good enough, reliable enough, and available now.
I am not saying you should never wait. Sometimes waiting is smart. If Apple is announcing new Macs next week and your current machine works, wait. If you know a redesign is coming and you can afford to delay, wait. If the current configuration does not meet your needs, wait.
But do not confuse waiting with discipline.
Sometimes waiting is just procrastination disguised as research.
My next upgrade may be M6 or M7 — and that is fine
One reason I felt comfortable buying the M4 Mac mini now is that I do not see computers as permanent possessions.
The Mac mini is not a sculpture. It is not a family heirloom. It is a production tool.
I may use it for two years, sell it, and then buy an M6 or M7 Mac mini when there is a genuine reason. That is not failure. That is a professional upgrade cycle.
Apple computers tend to hold value better than many generic machines, especially if you keep them in good condition, keep the box, and buy a configuration that still makes sense later. I am not trapped forever because I bought the M4 today.
This matters psychologically.
If you think every computer purchase must be perfect for the next ten years, you will freeze. If you think of the machine as a working tool with resale value, the decision becomes easier.
Use it. Earn with it. Finish work with it. Sell it when it no longer serves you. Move on.
That is much healthier than spending six months watching “M5 Mac mini leaks” videos while your current machine makes every edit painful.
The Apple Studio Display was the hardest purchase
The Mac mini decision was fairly rational.
The Apple Studio Display was the emotional one.
It costs a lot. There are cheaper monitors. There are monitors with higher refresh rates. There are monitors with HDR. There are monitors with better specs on paper.
But a monitor is not just a spec sheet.
A monitor is the thing you look at every day. It is where you judge photographs. It is where you grade footage. It is where you write, edit, export, check, correct, and live with your work.
A computer can be replaced every few years. A good display can stay with you through multiple computers.
That is why I found the Studio Display easier to justify than it first appears. The Mac mini may be sold and replaced by an M6 or M7 one day. The display may stay.
I bought the standard glass version with the tilt stand. I compared it to nano-texture and did not see a real reason to pay more. Nano-texture is useful if you have reflections or bright light sources that you cannot control. I do not. In my space, standard glass made more sense.
For photographers, this matters. We often obsess over cameras and lenses while staring at mediocre screens. That is insane. If you care about image, the screen is not an accessory. It is part of the work.
The Leica Q analogy
The way I think about this Mac mini is similar to the way I think about my camera.
I use a Leica Q. I do not change cameras every few months. I do not constantly rebuild my photographic identity around new features. I use a simple, fixed, familiar tool that allows me to work.
The Leica Q does not solve the photograph for me. It does not replace vision. It does not create the subject. It does not make the composition. It gives me a reliable way to translate what I see.
The computer should be the same.
A good computer does not make the film. It does not make the edit. It does not make the story interesting. But it removes friction. It enables decisions to be made at the speed of thought.
That is the real value.
Not the benchmark. Not the leak. Not the bragging rights. The absence of friction.
Gear syndrome is not only about cameras
Photographers know Gear Acquisition Syndrome very well.
It usually appears in camera form. A new lens. A new body. A new sensor. A new autofocus system. A new colour science argument. A new myth that the next piece of gear will finally unlock the work.
But computers can produce the same illness.
You start with a real need. Then you research. Then you compare. Then you watch more reviews. Then you find a better model. Then you find a rumour. Then the rumour makes the current model feel old. Then you wait. Then nothing gets made.
This is why I think the correct question is not, “What is the best computer?”
The correct question is, “What is the simplest tool that lets me continue working at the level I need?”
For me, that was the M4 Mac mini with 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
Not because it is the best Mac ever made. Not because it will be the best Mac next year. Because it solves the problem I have now.
Who should buy the M4 Mac mini now?
You should consider buying the M4 Mac mini now if your current computer is slowing down your real work.
Especially if you are upgrading from an Intel Mac, an older Mac mini, or a base M1 iMac like mine, the difference can be dramatic. If you edit video, work in DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One, or similar creative software, the M4 Mac mini is a serious machine.
The 24GB version makes sense if you want more breathing room than the base model without jumping all the way to the M4 Pro.
I would especially consider the 24GB / 512GB configuration if:
This is not a scientific table. It is a practical one.
If your computer is slowing down work, buy the tool. If it is not slowing you down, wait.
Who should wait for the M5 Mac mini?
You should wait for the M5 Mac mini if your current machine still works well.
If your current Mac edits your footage smoothly, opens your files quickly, exports without drama, and does not force you to reduce your creative decisions, there is no emergency. Wait. See what Apple does. Let the M5 arrive. Let the reviews come out. Let prices settle.
You should also wait if AI performance is your main concern. The next few generations of Apple chips will likely focus heavily on AI, neural processing, and on-device intelligence. If your work depends on that, waiting may make sense.
But if you are editing with one hand tied behind your back, do not wait for a rumour to rescue you.
A machine that exists and solves the problem is often more valuable than a better machine that may arrive later.
Why I did not overbuy
There is another trap: overbuying.
Some creators do not wait forever. They do the opposite. They spend too much because they are afraid of regret.
They buy the Pro when they need the base. They buy the Max when they need the Pro. They buy the Ultra when they need to export a YouTube video once a week.
This is also gear syndrome.
I did not buy the M4 Pro because I could not honestly justify it for my current workload. If that changes, I will upgrade later. That is not a disaster. That is information.
Creative businesses change. Workloads change. Income changes. Projects change. Buying the perfect future computer for a future version of yourself can be as irrational as waiting forever.
Buy for your real work.
Not your fantasy work.
The decision framework
Here is the framework I used:
1. Is my current machine blocking work? Yes. DaVinci Resolve had become almost impossible on the base M1 iMac.
2. Do I need portability? No. I do not edit video on a laptop anymore.
3. Is the base model enough? Not for me. I had already hit the limits of 8GB memory.
4. Do I need the M4 Pro? Not yet. My work does not currently justify the price jump.
5. Is waiting for M5 worth the lost work? No. I need to edit now.
6. Will the Studio Display last longer than the Mac? Probably yes. That makes the monitor a long-term investment.
That is it.
No mythology. No benchmark religion. No future-proofing panic.
Just a decision.
Final thought
The best creative tool is not always the most powerful one.
It is the one that removes the obstacle between the idea and the finished work.
For me, the obstacle was not the absence of an M5 chip. It was a base M1 iMac that could no longer keep up with what I wanted to do in DaVinci Resolve.
So I bought the M4 Mac mini with 24GB RAM.
Not because it is perfect.Not because it will remain impressive forever.Not because it wins every benchmark.
Because it lets me work now.
And sometimes that is the most professional decision you can make.
Love xx
FAQ: M4 Mac mini, M5, M6, M7 and Studio Display
Is the M4 Mac mini with 24GB RAM enough for DaVinci Resolve?
For my work, that is exactly why I bought it. My base M1 iMac with 8GB RAM was struggling badly in DaVinci Resolve. I had to edit at 720p, half resolution, and avoid effects, tracking, and smart masks. The 24GB M4 Mac mini gives much more room for real editing.
If you are doing heavy Fusion work, 6K or 8K footage, complex multicam, serious noise reduction, or commercial post-production, you may want the M4 Pro or Mac Studio. But for a professional creative working mainly with 4K video, the M4 with 24GB is a very sensible configuration.
Should I wait for the M5 Mac mini?
Wait if your current computer is fine. Do not wait if your current computer is slowing down real work.
The M5 Mac mini will almost certainly be better whenever it arrives. That does not automatically make the M4 a bad buy. A tool that solves the problem today has value today.
Should I wait for the M6 or M7 Mac mini instead?
This is where the argument becomes ridiculous. If you wait for M5, you can also wait for M6. If you wait for M6, you can wait for M7. There will always be a next chip.
The smarter question is: does your current machine let you do your work now?
If yes, wait. If no, upgrade.
Is 512GB SSD enough on the M4 Mac mini?
It is enough if you work with external storage. It is not enough if you expect to store everything internally.
For video, external SSDs and proper archives are essential anyway. I see the 512GB internal SSD as space for macOS, applications, cache, and current work — not a permanent storage solution.
Is the Apple Studio Display worth it for photographers?
For me, yes.
A monitor is not just a monitor. It is the surface where you judge your work. A good display can stay with you across multiple computers. I may replace the Mac mini in two or three years. I may keep the Studio Display much longer.
That makes the Studio Display expensive, but not necessarily irrational.
Should I get nano-texture glass on the Studio Display?
Only if you need it.
I chose standard glass because I do not have bright light sources shining directly onto the screen. I compared both and did not see a real reason to pay extra for nano-texture in my space.
Should I upgrade from an M1 iMac to an M4 Mac mini?
If your M1 iMac still does your work comfortably, no. Keep it.
If you are doing heavier video work and hitting the limits of the base M1 iMac, especially the 8GB RAM model, then yes, the M4 Mac mini is a very strong upgrade.
Is the M1 MacBook Air still good?
Yes. I am keeping mine.
It remains excellent for browsing, writing, email, travel, and light photo work. I simply do not use a laptop for serious video editing anymore. The M1 MacBook Air still has a place. It just does not need to be my editing machine.
