New Mac Mini Bumps Display Refresh Rates to 165Hz

Apple's newly announced M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini models still support up to three external displays, but there's now support for higher refresh rates, according to Apple's published technical specifications.

Here's what's changed versus the M4 generation:

• The M6 model runs two displays at up to 6K 60Hz or 4K 165Hz, up from 144Hz on M4, plus a third display at up to 5K 60Hz over Thunderbolt or 4K 60Hz over HDMI.
• The M5 Pro model runs all three displays at up to 6K 60Hz or 4K 165Hz, up from 144Hz on the M4 Pro.
• In a two-monitor setup, the M5 Pro model's second screen now supports 5K 120Hz or 4K 200Hz, whereas the M4 Pro listed 6K 60Hz or 4K 144Hz.
• The M5 Pro model supports all three displays through one Thunderbolt port, while the M6 still supports two per port.
• Single-display support is unchanged: Both chips support 8K 60Hz, 5K 120Hz, or 4K 240Hz.

As for port compatibility around the back, the M6 model has Thunderbolt 4 supporting DisplayPort 1.4, while the M5 Pro model has Thunderbolt 5 supporting DisplayPort 2.1.

The new models were announced on Tuesday. Pre-orders are open now, with shipping and in-store availability on September 22.