• In February, I grabbed a 24GB, 256GB Gigabit M4 for office work under the national subsidy program (buying early really is a loss—these days, it’s way cheaper!).
• For my monitor, I went with the Redmi A27U, recommended on Xiaohongshu, for use at the office (the original price was steep at 1,550 RMB).
• I paired it with a Green联 docking station and continued using my old Logitech keyboard and mouse.
• To boost storage, I added an external Samsung T7 SSD with 1TB capacity.
• During the May Day holiday, when I needed to work from home, I picked up the Redmi A27Q, a 2K 100Hz monitor for just 557 RMB—it was a steal!
Previously purchased monitors:
• The one in Figure 5 is an AOC 27-inch 180Hz monitor I bought before the Lunar New Year for my parents’ place (a bit pricey at 999 RMB back then, but now it’s only around 700).
M4 Usage Experience:
• Since the M4 was primarily intended for office work, and given my unfamiliarity with macOS compared to Windows, I installed a virtual system. After getting used to it, everything worked smoothly—except for the headache-inducing copy-paste function.
• For gaming, I initially tried League of Legends via the virtual Windows system, but it wasn’t smooth enough.
Later, I discovered native Mac games like World of Warcraft, which brought me right back into the fold as an old player from the Pandaria and Orgrimmar eras.
Redmi A27U Monitor Impressions:
• A27U: The picture quality is top-notch, but the 60Hz refresh rate makes it slightly uncomfortable for extended use, even for office tasks like spreadsheets. It strains the eyes after long hours, though I still use it at the office (laughs). Overall, it’s decent but not ideal for gaming—playing at 60 frames feels tiring.
Plus, when I first plugged my Logitech dongle into the back of the monitor, it caused lag. When I pulled it out, I noticed the panel was hot to the touch, and so was the dongle itself! Absolutely unacceptable. Moving forward, I avoid plugging anything into the back. While it works fine for video editing, I wouldn’t recommend it for general office use or gaming.
• AOC: Over the Qingming Festival, I used this monitor for four days at my parents’ house, and it exceeded expectations. Whether for office work or gaming, the experience was incredibly smooth and enjoyable. This is definitely the magic of high refresh rates—switching back to the A27U afterward felt awkward for quite a while.
Redmi A27Q Monitor Impressions:
• A27Q: Starting from April 30th, I’ve been using this one, and it feels pretty good—better than the A27U in some ways. However, there’s an issue where, during full-screen gameplay in WoW, the resolution occasionally drops on its own, making the image blurry. I have to manually switch it back to 2K. Other than that, performance is solid, and at this price point, what more can you ask for?
Summary:
• These are purely my personal experiences. If you’re into gaming, don’t overthink 4K; 2K with high refresh rates is where it’s at. Honestly, I haven’t noticed much difference between 4K and 2K [laughs]. #macminm4
Sebastian Boyd 
Dorothy Fernandez 
Amy Miles
I’ve been thinking about getting the M4 myself—your experience is super helpful. The combo with the Redmi monitor seems solid, though I’m still debating whether the extra storage upgrade is worth it. It’s interesting to hear your thoughts on the docking station; I hadn’t considered that before. Overall, it sounds like you’re pretty happy with your setup!
Thank you for your kind words! I personally think the extra storage is worth it if you handle large files or need the peace of mind. The docking station has been a game-changer for my workspace efficiency. Glad you found my review helpful—enjoy your decision-making process!
I’ve been considering the M4 for my home office setup but opted for an older model instead. Reading your experience, though, makes me wonder if I missed out—especially since you mentioned the improved affordability lately. Do you feel like the storage upgrade was worth it, or do you think most users could get by without it?