Aytug Bayer/Shutterstock Apple’s Mac Mini gives potential buyers multiple reasons to buy it instead of a MacBook, as it packs a big punch despite its small size, its ability to run local AI models, and a lower retail price than its bigger siblings. As of this writing, the newest model is also the only Mac equipped with Apple’s new M6 chip and is also sold with the high-performance M5 Pro chip. As appealing as this may seem, some Mini owners may still want to get more out of their system, or may encounter times where their device runs at slower speeds. A few subtle tweaks can help your Mac Mini reach its full potential. If your Mini’s performance isn’t living up to its promised power, there are some simple remedies, such as freeing up space on your startup drive, either by transferring files to another device or an external hard drive, or by deleting unnecessary data. You can turn on your device’s default “Activity Monitor” to review total memory usage and detect apps that use more memory than the Mini has available. It’s also best to close any apps you’re not actively using. Apps that are not natively supported by your Mac (those that require a different graphics card or processor) should also be closed. Application documentation should generally detail individual system requirements. These simple changes, along with those mentioned above, could help optimize your Mini’s overall performance. Your browser could affect the performance of your Mac Mini gguy/Shutterstock Making direct changes to the settings and behavior of applications on your Mac Mini can help bring your computer back up to its high-power standards. A lesser-known obstacle that could also catch users’ attention is their browser. For example, a Cult of Mac writer reported that his Google Chrome browser turned out to be a powerful vampire thanks to unused browser extensions. Other browsers, including the popular Mozilla-owned Firefox web browser, can also consume memory at a high rate. To get the most out of your system’s power, it’s best to stick with Apple’s native Safari browser as an option on any macOS device. Safari, especially when compared to Chrome, consumes less memory. If you’re using another Apple device like an iPhone or MacBook (when you’re on the go), using Safari will also conserve battery life. Depending on what you want or value from your web browser, Safari might be the best option for Mini users, at least from a performance standpoint.
