Apple’s Redesigned M4 Mac mini Can Turn Into A Portable Computer That You Can Travel Around With By Using A Powerbank, Just As Long As It Has An AC Outlet

The compact size and incredible efficiency, thanks to using an in-house silicon, have turned the M4 Mac mini into one of the most capable portable computers out there. As a result of using a custom chipset, the power draw of the machine is incredibly low, to the extent that it can actually be carried around by the owner and hooked up to a powerbank. However, the only drawback to this approach is that even if that powerbank can supply the required wattage, it needs to have an AC outlet, or else this setup will not work.

The majority of powerbanks with an AC outlet can supply up to 100W, making it sufficient to be used with the M4 Mac mini

The inspiration behind this configuration came from AppleInsider, who also successfully demonstrated that the M4 Mac mini can be attached to a powerbank featuring an AC outlet. Best of all, during the testing, it was revealed that Apple’s compact computer consumes a maximum of 25W, which will only happen when you resort to running more intensive tasks such as gaming. When running regular workloads, the redesigned Mac mini does not go above 20W, making it suitable to be connected to a powerbank with an AC outlet.

As for which powerbank to use, it would have been easy to simply go with what AppleInsider tested with the M4 Mac mini, but we want to go down a different route. For one thing, the powerbank used cannot be charged while supplying juice to the hardware, so that is something to keep in mind. While it does feature a USB-C port for charging, the AC inverter shuts off. We recommend getting something with more versatility, like the G-POWER C60Q, which can supply 80W of standard wattage and 100W peak.

Most importantly, it can be charged and discharged at the same time while also costing $52.99 for a capacity of 74WHr, making it exceptional as far as the ‘price to performance’ ratio goes. We could have chosen a more expensive powerbank to pair with the M4 Mac mini, but that would have defeated the purpose. After all, Apple nailed the pricing for its compact computer, as the base model with 16GB unified RAM and 256GB storage starts from just $599, but you can get it for $559 on Amazon after a 7 percent, and invest the rest of the savings in the powerbank.

Bear in mind that you also need to connect peripherals and a display to the M4 Mac mini, and with the powerbank attached, the runtime can be reduced significantly. Then again, when have you ever heard of a fully-configured computer that can run off a powerbank? It is likely a rarity that this feat can be achieved; hopefully, it will not be the last.