Apple’s most affordable computer is currently on sale, bringing its price down from $599. The Mac mini M4 is currently available on Amazon for just $499, giving you a 17% discount and saving you $100 on the purchase price. Despite being Apple's smallest, cheapest desktop offering, and coming with a chip that launched in 2024, the Mac mini M4 is still quite a capable device. This particular unit comes with the entry-level M4 SoC with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, and 256GB of storage. Unfortunately, you’ll have to pay the infamous Apple tax if you want to upgrade it to a 512GB SSD, costing an additional $190 just to double the storage. In today's AI price squeeze, however, the value looks a little better than it used to.
This isn’t the more powerful Mac mini we reviewed with the M4 Pro chip, but it’s still a great option for those looking for a basic computer for students or everyday use. It also comes with two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm combo headphone jack up front, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, plus an HDMI and an Ethernet port at the rear. The only weird thing about the Mac mini is the placement of the power button underneath one of its corners, requiring you to lift it a bit with a finger to turn it on.
The Apple Mac mini is an excellent entry-level computer for those who do not need to use Windows-specific applications. And while most PC gamers would balk at the thought of getting an Apple device for their gaming needs, Apple is slowly but surely increasing its compatible game library. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 is now natively compatible with Apple silicon, with initial tests showing the game running at a playable 30 fps on medium settings. And if you’re already into the Apple ecosystem with an iPhone and iPad, then it would make sense to get a Mac mini to seamlessly sync your activities across your devices.
Although the $499 price on Amazon isn’t the Mac mini M4’s record low, it’s still an excellent deal for a modern desktop computer, especially now that we’re in a time where soaring memory prices are making even the most basic PCs expensive. So, if you need a basic computer for your day-to-day activities, you wouldn’t go wrong with Apple’s most affordable offering. And should you need more storage, you’re better off buying one of the best external SSDs instead of spending over a hundred dollars more just to get an extra 256GB.
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
