My main gripe with the Mac Mini is its ports. The M2-powered model has two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, two USB-A, an HDMI, a 10-gigabit Ethernet connection, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. If you upgrade to the M2 Pro version, you get two extra Thunderbolt 4 ports. But I wish Apple brought the same selection from the Mac Studio, with two USB-C ports and an SD card slot on the front of the machine. 

I tested the Mac Mini with the M2 Pro, Apple's newest chip in the M-series lineup. Compared to the M1 Pro, Apple says its successor has 20 percent faster CPU performance (than the 10-core M1 Pro) and graphics that are 30 percent faster. My configuration consisted of a 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16 gigabytes of memory, and a 1-terabyte SSD. You can upgrade up to 32 gigabytes of memory and 8 terabytes of storage if you don't balk at the cost. 

My daily workflow involves simple tasks like word processing and web browsing, so I handed the Mac Mini over to my partner, who is a professional video maker, to give it a proper stress test. After importing multiple streams of RED 4K footage (about 300 gigabytes at about 8:1 compression) into Final Cut Pro, we applied 3D tracking, color correction, stabilization, and a few mild effects, plus moved clips around the timeline. The M2 Pro felt snappy and showed zero signs of choking.

The same applies to gaming on the Mac Mini. I played some Resident Evil Village, and the spooky setting looked great and the gameplay felt fluid. (So smooth that I started to feel nauseous after a while.) The Mini did get hot after some time, but it's not in your lap like a MacBook might be, so this wasn't really an issue. It also is pretty darn silent, which is always a plus.