Bravo Verdict
Head to head

Beelink SER8 Mini PC vs Apple Mac Mini M4

Side by side comparison of two of the best desktops on the market. Same category, different priorities.

Beelink SER8 Mini PC
Beelink

Beelink SER8 Mini PC

4.5 (2,100)
$599

The best Windows mini PC for real work.

Apple Mac Mini M4
Apple

Apple Mac Mini M4

4.9 (4,200)
$599

The best small desktop you can buy right now and it's not even close.

How do the Beelink SER8 Mini PC and Apple Mac Mini M4 compare, spec for spec?

Spec
Beelink
Beelink SER8 Mini PC
Apple
Apple Mac Mini M4
Price$599$599
Rating
4.5 (2,100)
4.9 (4,200)
Pros
  • User upgradable
  • AMD Ryzen performance
  • Windows out of the box
  • Cheap
  • M4 chip with 16GB RAM standard at $599
  • Tiny enough to fit behind your monitor
  • Front USB-C ports finally make cable access easy
  • Near silent under most workloads
  • Supports up to three external displays
Cons
  • Louder fan than Mac Mini
  • Less refined build
  • Bloated OS install
  • Power button is on the bottom which is just silly
  • RAM and storage upgrades are wildly overpriced
  • No USB-A ports at all
  • Front USB-C ports are slower than the rear ones
  • Not upgradable or user repairable after purchase

Should you buy the Beelink SER8 Mini PC or the Apple Mac Mini M4?

Both are strong picks in the desktops category. Here's how to decide:

Get the Beelink SER8 Mini PC if...

AMD Ryzen 8845HS punches way above its price. Upgradable RAM and storage.

Get the Apple Mac Mini M4 if...

This little box is genuinely hard to argue with. At $599 you get the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and a design so compact it fits in your palm. The previous model started with 8GB. That alone is a big deal. Doubling the base memory without raising the price is exactly the kind of move that makes this worth paying attention to. Performance is legitimately impressive. Single core scores beat out machines costing two or three times as much. Everyday tasks like browsing, photo editing and video work all run without a hitch and the thing stays nearly silent doing it. Even light gaming works better than you'd expect from a machine this size at this price. It won't replace a proper gaming rig but older titles and a growing list of newer ones run just fine. The redesign is a real upgrade too. It's noticeably smaller than the old model and the two front USB-C ports plus a headphone jack finally make cable management less of a nightmare. It can drive up to three external displays which is solid for a base model desktop. If you already own a monitor, keyboard and mouse this is one of the cleanest desktop setups you can put together for under a grand. There are real trade offs though. RAM and storage upgrades cost way more than they should. There's no USB-A port which will annoy some people. The power button is on the bottom of the device which is just a weird call. And if you want to game seriously or push heavy sustained workloads, you're going to hit limits fast. But for most people doing most things, none of that matters much. This is the desktop to beat right now at this size and price.