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Mac Mini M4 Takes on Unreal Engine 5 in a Performance Battle | Minisopuru MINI4PRO Hub

🎬 Watch the Full Benchmark

👉 Mac Mini M4 vs Unreal Engine 5 Performance Test on YouTube

Intro

Everybody says a base model Mac Mini is too weak for Unreal Engine. Only 16 GB of RAM, integrated GPU, no Nanite support on macOS. Forget it, right?
Well, I didn’t buy that. I stacked the Mac Mini M4 against Unreal Engine 5 under real developer conditions, not lab-perfect tests. Dual monitors, OBS Studio recording at 70,000 bitrate, and projects ranging from light to brutally complex.

To spice it up, I paired it with the Minisopuru iExpandMate MINI4PRO Hub, a dock that adds an NVMe bay, extra ports, and turns the Mac Mini into a workstation. The question is simple: can this $599 box survive Unreal Engine 5?

Hardware Setup

  • Mac Mini M4 – 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16 GB unified memory (base model)
  • Storage – Apple soldered SSD vs NVMe inside Minisopuru MINI4PRO hub
  • Hub Features – NVMe slot, 4K60 HDMI, SD card reader, front USB ports, groove power button
  • Extra Load – OBS Studio recording at 1080p, 70,000 bitrate
  • OS – macOS 26 (latest update during tests)

This wasn’t a clean lab test. It was messy, multitask, and exactly how a real indie dev would use it.

Test Conditions

  • Resolution: 1920x1080
  • Dual monitor setup
  • OBS recording always active
  • Measured metrics: project load times, shader compile duration, editor FPS, RAM and swap usage

Benchmarks

✅ Light Project – Unreal FPS Template

  • Internal SSD: ~22s load time, 30–47 FPS
  • NVMe SSD: ~20s load time, FPS unchanged
  • CPU load: ~15%
  • RAM: 13.3 GB used, ~700 MB swapped

➡ Smooth, GPU-bound, and stable. Even bots took me out.

✅ Moderate Project – Epic Lyra Starter Game

  • First load: 2m57s (shader compile)
  • Cached reload: 15s
  • FPS: 29–45, stable after shaders finished
  • NVMe load: ~47s, FPS identical
  • CPU: 15–25%
  • RAM: 13–14 GB

➡ Full featured project with UI, maps, and FX still ran fine. For under $800, surprisingly solid.

✅ Complex Project – Cyberpunk Rooftop Market (Laertes)

  • Internal SSD load: ~20s, but usable after 4m34s shader compile
  • High quality: 20–35 FPS
  • Medium quality: 45–65 FPS
  • NVMe cached load: ~16s
  • FPS on medium: 50–70, even with OBS recording
  • RAM: 14.4 GB out of 16 GB in play

➡ Unreal dev on Mac Mini is real. Heavy neon cyberpunk environments ran smoother than expected when lowering quality.

Minisopuru MINI4PRO Hub

The dock wasn’t just a stand. It transformed the Mac Mini:

  • NVMe storage for faster project load times
  • Front USB ports for controllers and drives
  • 4K60 HDMI for external display
  • SD and microSD for quick asset imports
  • Groove power button

It kept Unreal workflows snappy even on complex projects. Honestly, I’d call it a must-have if you plan to develop on a Mac Mini.

👉 Amazon Link – Minisopuru iExpandMate MINI4PRO
💸 Amazon Discount Code: MWP3VHVK (valid until Oct 31, 2025)

👉 Official Minisopuru Store
💸 Site Discount Code: RambodDev

Verdict

The Mac Mini M4 proved itself. It’s not replacing a $3000 workstation, but for:

  • Stylized indie projects
  • Prototyping
  • Small to medium environments

…it’s absolutely capable. Lower graphics settings unlock smooth 45–70 FPS gameplay even in heavy cyberpunk scenes.

Would I ship a AAA game on this? No.
Would I use it for everyday Unreal dev? Yes.

If you want more headroom for big assets and bigger projects, wait for the M5 Pro with 48 or 64 GB RAM. But as a budget entry dev box, this is unbeatable value.

Credits – Fab.com / Unreal Marketplace Assets

To respect creators, here are the assets shown:

  • AleksandrIvanov – Stylized Landscape
  • StylArts – Stylized Paris Street
  • SilverTm – Neon City
  • lyoshko – City Bus

Community Q&A

Would you buy the Mac Mini M4 now with a Minisopuru hub, or wait for the rumored M5 Pro?
Drop your thoughts in the comments – I read them all.

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#MacMiniM4 #UnrealEngine #GameDev #Benchmark #Minisopuru #MacMiniM4Hub #AppleSilicon #UnrealEngine5 #CES2025