Apple’s newest lineup of Mac Mini desktops formally hit cabinets earlier this 12 months, and provide some welcome enhancements over the earlier technology. Not solely are they outfitted with the corporate’s new M2 and M2 Professional processors, however in addition they characteristic a beginning worth that is $100 decrease than their M1-powered predecessors — beginning at $599 for the 256GB mannequin. And, considerably surprisingly, we’re already beginning to see some reductions pop up, with Amazon presently providing as much as $100 off. There’s additionally a brand new upgraded mannequin that encompasses a Professional-level chip, and begins at $1,299.
You will discover the brand new M2 Mac Minis accessible now at Apple, as wells as main retailers. And whereas Apple not sells the M1 model, you possibly can nonetheless discover just a few of those older fashions floating round on the market. And whilst you may even decide up a few of these previous-gen fashions on sale, between the older {hardware} and the brand new generations decrease beginning worth, you are most likely higher off with an M2 mannequin.
Amazon is nearly the one retailer providing reductions proper now, however there are some advantages that include paying full worth at Apple. Procuring at Apple straight permits you to customise the machine and add extra RAM or a higher-capacity solid-state drive, whereas the fashions offered on Amazon and different retailers are fastened configurations. And in contrast to in most different desktops, the Mac Mini’s RAM isn’t user-upgradable. Apple’s M2 system-on-a-chip integrates the CPU, GPU, RAM and different elements for higher energy and effectivity, however the draw back of this integration is the shortage of DIMM slots that might let you add further RAM after buy.
Apple’s pupil reductions and refurbs
It is value noting that the Apple Retailer affords college students an academic low cost, the place it can save you $100 on the worth of a brand new Mac Mini. Some upgrades are discounted, too. For instance, doubling the RAM to 16GB prices $180 with the coed low cost as an alternative of the same old cost of $200.
Additionally at Apple, you may discover a refurbished Mac Mini on the Licensed Refurbished Mac web page, however it’s too early to seek out an M2 refurb, and we might warning towards shopping for an older Intel-based Mac Mini. And an M1 refurb would must be priced considerably lower than the brand new M2 fashions at their decrease beginning costs. Nonetheless, it is value retaining a watch out, nevertheless, as a result of you possibly can lock in substantial financial savings. Apple refurbs are an effective way to avoid wasting money, and are sometimes simply nearly as good as new.
Maintain studying to see the very best US costs presently accessible for Apple’s Mac Mini. We replace this web page frequently and provides costs which can be correct at time of publication, however observe that they fluctuate.
Mac Mini reductions, in contrast
| Mannequin w/ CPU, RAM and storage capability | Checklist worth | Greatest worth (present) | Greatest worth (all-time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Mini w/ M2, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD | $599 | $580 | $580 |
| Mac Mini w/ M2, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD | $799 | $700 | $700 |
| Mac Mini w/ M2 Professional, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD | $1,299 | $1,299 | $1,299 |
Word that “all-time” means the very best worth that we have seen at an Apple-authorized retailer within the product’s lifetime.
The baseline Mac Mini options Apple’s new M2 chip, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It provides two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a headphone jack. It lists for $599 at Apple, which is already $100 lower than the M1 model, and proper now it can save you just a few {dollars} at Amazon and snag one for $580. Whereas it is not an enormous low cost, that is the very best worth you will discover on the bottom mannequin M2 Mini in the mean time.
The step-up Mac Mini bumps the storage as much as 512GB, an elevated capability that most individuals will profit from, as 512GB is in regards to the smallest SSD we might advocate for any desktop. It already lists for $100 lower than the M1 model, and proper now it can save you $100 at Amazon, dropping it right down to the very best worth we have seen since these next-gen Minis hit cabinets.
For the primary time, the Mac Mini affords a Professional chip from Apple’s lineup. The baseline Mac Mini with the M2 Professional prices $1,299 and options 16GB of RAM — double that of the M2 fashions — and a 512GB SSD. The M2 Professional chip has 10 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores in contrast with the eight-CPU core, 10-GPU core M2 chip. The M2 Professional mannequin additionally doubles the variety of Thunderbolt 4 ports to 4.
