Deals: Apple's M2 Mac Mini Drops to New Record Low Prices, Starting at $499.99 [Updated]

[foo2]

sata is slowwwwwwww

No, honestly, it isn’t, and many people can’t even tell the difference between NVME SSD and SATA SSD.

I think what some folks (including especially those who got sucked into the conspiracy theory that was SSD-Gate not long ago, blaming Apple for “crippled” M2-generation SSDs) fail to realize is that the maximum speed of an SSD isn’t the primary benefit of the SSD. It’s a marketing term more than anything - a way to differentiate SSDs and get people to pay more $ for a given SSD.

The primary benefit of the SSD is I/O. A massive reduction in latency. An ability to access data on the SSD in parallel (so that if you run one app and (gasp!) run another at the same time, the entire operation doesn’t fall over, like it does on a mechanical hard drive.)

And at that, both the SATA SSD and the NVME SSD perform very well. It’s quite common to see near-zero difference in MacOS boot times, for example, between an NVME SSD and a SATA SSD.

Sure, in raw performance and max bandwidth benchmarks the NVME is, in fact, faster. But for most day to day things, the actual performance difference is tiny compared to the massive gulf in performance between both SSDs and a mechanical hard disk.

 

[foo2]

My 2008 MacBook Pro came with 256GB of HD space. I upgraded it to first 512GB Hitachi 7200 RPM and later to a 1TB SSD for hardly anything ($100). Still works. Boots in 25 seconds even with just SATA 1 interface.

Bingo. And a modern Mac with an on-board ”6000MB/s” SSD isn’t significantly faster than this. Yeah, a few seconds here and there, but it’s not (6000MB/s / 150MB/s = 40x) 40x faster. It’s not even 2x faster. Even 1x faster (ie 12 seconds) would be a stretch for some. I remember us writing down typical boot times, and it hasn’t changed much, was my overall recollection.

This is why the max stated speed of an NVME SSD (like the paranoia around Mac Mini 1500MB/s, 3000MB/s, and 6000MB/s) is such nonsense. It only matters if you copy big ISO files day in and day out to Thunderbolt 4 media, or some other fairly contrived use cases.

 

[Rychiar]

No, honestly, it isn’t, and many people can’t even tell the difference between NVME SSD and SATA SSD.

I think what some folks (including especially those who got sucked into the conspiracy theory that was SSD-Gate not long ago, blaming Apple for “crippled” M2-generation SSDs) fail to realize is that the maximum speed of an SSD isn’t the primary benefit of the SSD. It’s a marketing term more than anything - a way to differentiate SSDs and get people to pay more $ for a given SSD.

The primary benefit of the SSD is I/O. A massive reduction in latency. An ability to access data on the SSD in parallel (so that if you run one app and (gasp!) run another at the same time, the entire operation doesn’t fall over, like it does on a mechanical hard drive.)

And at that, both the SATA SSD and the NVME SSD perform very well. It’s quite common to see near-zero difference in MacOS boot times, for example, between an NVME SSD and a SATA SSD.

Sure, in raw performance and max bandwidth benchmarks the NVME is, in fact, faster. But for most day to day things, the actual performance difference is tiny compared to the massive gulf in performance between both SSDs and a mechanical hard disk.

Well it’s like anything else but why buy a 500mb/s Santa drive when you can get 3000-7000mb/s NVME

 

[foo2]

Well it’s like anything else but why buy a 500mb/s Santa drive when you can get 3000-7000mb/s NVME

That right there is why the marketing department exists at Samsung, ADATA, Western Digital, and the other makers. It worked.

 

[MilaM]

I'm still waiting for reasonable RAM and SSD upgrade prices. The base config is a bad deal, even at the reduced price, in my opinion.

I have very fond memories of the 2011 Mac mini. With upgraded RAM and a SATA SSD it is still quite capable to this day.

 

[sracer]

I'm still waiting for reasonable RAM and SSD upgrade prices. The base config is a bad deal, even at the reduced price, in my opinion.

I have very fond memories of the 2011 Mac mini. With upgraded RAM and a SATA SSD it is still quite capable to this day.

Fair enough. But considering the CURRENT Mac OS lineup, the base M2 Mac Mini offers an uncharacteristically good value.

 

[CarAnalogy]

M2 Mac mini is such a bargain at that price for anyone who starting to use Macs.

I do wish though there was a 16 GB option even with 256. I can easily add external storage. They are being pretty stingy with the ram. I know you can build to order (I’m assuming you can get this configuration) but of course that’s not something that ever goes on sale.

I know there is the M2 Pro but that starts at nearly twice the price of this sale.

 

[Rychiar]

I do wish though there was a 16 GB option even with 256. I can easily add external storage. They are being pretty stingy with the ram. I know you can build to order (I’m assuming you can get this configuration) but of course that’s not something that ever goes on sale.

I know there is the M2 Pro but that starts at nearly twice the price of this sale.

yup I can't understand why they sell the 512 one as stock. they should sell an 8 and a 16 ram instead as the stock models

 

[Anglagard]

It's a shame there's no option via third party resellers to up the RAM on the M2 models to 16 GB for an uncharge off of these discounts. For casual home users 8GB is fine but users doing anything beyond basic email and web browsing would benefit from 16.

Thats why the price is so low, many prefer other models because this thing is completely unupgradeable.

 

[Rychiar]

Thats why the price is so low, many prefer other models because this thing is completely unupgradeable.

Apple doesn’t sell a single computer that’s upgradeable. It’s worse that they sell iMacs at 8/256

 

[foo2]

Apple doesn’t sell a single computer that’s upgradeable. It’s worse that they sell iMacs at 8/256

Not a single one? https://www.apple.com/mac-pro/

Hmm…

 

[badgerbadgerx2]

Well it’s like anything else but why buy a 500mb/s Santa drive when you can get 3000-7000mb/s NVME

as a mac user, even if you buy a 3000+ MB/s NVMe, has to go external, and the most you can get out of it is 2500-2700 MB/s using a $150 Thunderbolt case. More than a 2TB NVMe drive costs.

as a reminder, and real world experience:

They were $499 pre-order *before* they came out, and have been $549 many times since. As the owner of 3 base M1s -- mini and 2 MBAs -- they are spectacular, even with the 8 GB ram limit. Kids have the MBAs, both high school and the oldest does social media work for a couple of businesses. Wife uses a mini to VPN into her work PC, running dual screens. full Office suite, zooms, all the normal "work" stuff most office people do -- all are zippy. Never an issue with ram (or anything else)

The web browsing is noticeably faster than my 2020 iMac, even with my 128 GB of ram.

yeah, sure the drive speed is a bummer vs M1, but we are still talking about a 1500 MB/s drive -- no slouch. No basic user will notice, and if you are a user that thinks this is important, then no the mac for you. Simple.

Best price on a 16/256 M1 is $640 refurb from apple -- delivery in 2 days. 16/512 is $800, 16/1TB is $979 -- both 2 day delivery.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It's obscene that "green" Apple won't let you use industry standards for hard drives and RAM upgrades anymore. The old Mini wasn't the easiest hard drive upgrade ever (similar to an internal laptop), but it was certainly doable.

They've seemingly gone out of their way to make it impossible.
Really a crap move on something like the Mini.

Use normal slotted RAM and NVMe in there and let the tinkerers upgrade them if they'd like.

The base models would fly off the shelves if this were possible

 

[badgerbadgerx2]

They've seemingly gone out of their way to make it impossible.
Really a crap move on something like the Mini.

Use normal slotted RAM and NVMe in there and let the tinkerers upgrade them if they'd like.

The base models would fly off the shelves if this were possible

you would think that... but as a person who does mac tech consulting, and purchasing, the amount of peeps that upgraded their macs after purchase is super slim. Even my clients with 27" iMacs, where RAM was a 30 second DIY, tons still came in with 8 GB. Non upgradeable macs have been a thing for years and years. its not new by any means.

You should buy the mac you need or think you will need -- so its ready to go. Its that simple really. If an $800 M1 mini with 16/512 will last 4 years, its $200 a year.

 

[adamw]

Best price on a 16/256 M1 is $640 refurb from apple -- delivery in 2 days. 16/512 is $800, 16/1TB is $979 -- both 2 day delivery.

You may want to watch the Used Department on B & H Photo's website. This last week I picked up a used, excellent condition Mac mini M2 (24GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $700 ($300 off $999.99 list price), and on another day from Used Department on B&H Photo I picked up a Mac mini M2 (16GB RAM/512GB SSD) for $849.99 ($150 off $999.99 list price).

Also check on Facebook Marketplace, and search for M2 MAC. I am near Saint Louis, and in the past few weeks I have bought a 16" MacBook Pro M2 Pro (16GB RAM/512GB SSD) model for $1,700 ($800 off $2499.99 list price), and also on a different day bought a M2 Pro Mac mini (16GB RAM/512GB SSD) 10 Core CPU/16Core GPU model with a new Apple keyboard for $950.00 ($350 off $1,299 list price, plus I got a free new Apple Wireless Keyboard.) People have various reasons for selling on Facebook Marketplace, such as they tried it, and don't like it, etc.

Deals are out there... you just have to look often, and act Fast when you find one, or it will likely quickly be gone.

 

[foo2]

You may want to watch the Used Department on B & H Photo's website. This last week I picked up a used, excellent condition Mac mini M2 (24GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $700 ($300 off $999.99 list price), and on another day from Used Department on B&H Photo I picked up a Mac mini M2 (16GB RAM/512GB SSD) for $849.99 ($150 off $999.99 list price).

Used Apple Mac mini | B&H Photo Video

Shop Digital Cameras, 35MM Camera Equipment, Photography, Photo Printers, Computers, Home Theater, Authorized Dealer Canon, Sony, Nikon, Apple, Olympus, Panasonic, Kodak, JBL

www.bhphotovideo.com

Used MacBook | B&H Photo Video

Shop Digital Cameras, 35MM Camera Equipment, Photography, Photo Printers, Computers, Home Theater, Authorized Dealer Canon, Sony, Nikon, Apple, Olympus, Panasonic, Kodak, JBL

www.bhphotovideo.com

A few starters to get you going....

 

[badgerbadgerx2]

A few starters to get you going....

Seems great for M2s. Like I mentioned above, M1 16/512 is $800 and M1 16/1 TB is $979 direct from apple, full warranty, never used, get it in 2 days.

16/512, $809: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/...f47342d115ac23b0d3a221ae9c5da9f16e459e617548e

16/1TB, $979 : https://www.apple.com/shop/product/...172226786fc895affd0c1f70c86954383f997085bf377

 

[foo2]

(deleted)

 

[LFO8]

Now, if the prices for Apple products in the EU would follow the U.S. pricing pls.. that'd be great..

 

[imola.zhp]

Stupid question here...

My 2010 MacBook Pro is starting to show its age, at 13 years. One thing that has kept me from upgrading, is that we have a fairly large collection of movies and shows on the internal hard drive (that is backed up to an external hard drive, once using a time capsule, now just using an external hard drive).

I'm thinking of going Mac mini to replace this aging machine so that I can still sell it and get something out of it, even if its only $50-$100... The internal memory storage is not large enough to accommodate this collection of movies and shows. Can I have two external hard drives? One with the collection, and then one time machine backing up both the internal and the external drives? I'm thinking the answer here is yes.

Also, I can google this, but did they figure out how to run home assistant docker on M-Macs?

 

[foo2]

You can certainly install Home Assistant on Macs (docs are a quick google away) but if you’re buying a stationary Mac, I suggest you buy a Synology disk box, put a few big HDDs into the Synology box, and run Home Assistant, Time Machine, and (your other stuff) from there. If on Ethernet you’ll get reasonably fast speeds (100MB-125MB/s with SSDs in the Synology; a bit less with mechanical disks) for doing anything you want, and it will be a rock solid setup. And you can’t beat the convenience of Time Machine backups.

Assuming an Intel / X86 version of a Synology box, you can easily run Plex as well, if you wanted it to serve your TV/media content itself. (Yes, Plex is on ARM too, but it’s not as well suited for those lower-end devices.)

 

[Morod]

Got my tracking number for it and it's supposed to be here Tuesday!

 

[badgerbadgerx2]

Stupid question here...

My 2010 MacBook Pro is starting to show its age, at 13 years. One thing that has kept me from upgrading, is that we have a fairly large collection of movies and shows on the internal hard drive (that is backed up to an external hard drive, once using a time capsule, now just using an external hard drive). Can I have two external hard drives? One with the collection, and then one time machine backing up both the internal and the external drives? I'm thinking the answer here is yes.

you can have dozens of external drives. I understand foo2 wanting to suggest a synology setup, but 1000000X overkill for your needs. and can cost as much as a new MBA.

For your needs, I would recommend a simple external SSD for your video -- crucial X6, X8, samsung T or portable series, 1-2 TB. Keep your current TM drive as TM. Have both new mini and new external media drive TM to it. TM has no problem backing up multiple drive.

Dunno how big your library is, M1 mini, 16/1TB are under $1000 at apple as a refurb (which is new). full 1 year warranty, eligible for apple care. mayeb 1Tb is enough...

 

[foo2]

you can have dozens of external drives. I understand foo2 wanting to suggest a synology setup, but 1000000X overkill for your needs. and can cost as much as a new MBA.

For your needs, I would recommend a simple external SSD for your video -- crucial X6, X8, samsung T or portable series, 1-2 TB. Keep your current TM drive as TM. Have both new mini and new external media drive TM to it. TM has no problem backing up multiple drive.

Dunno how big your library is, M1 mini, 16/1TB are under $1000 at apple as a refurb (which is new). full 1 year warranty, eligible for apple care. mayeb 1Tb is enough...

All that’s true, but I suggest Synology as a place to run Home Assistant. Putting it on a Mac that you intend to use, reboot, install software on, and otherwise change strikes me as a bad idea. Far better to put it on a ‘server’ type of box that will be stationary, unchanging, and absolutely reliable (and won’t be rebooted by the user, hence losing control software for some period of time).

If running a server product (HA) isn’t required, then yes, a local USB disk is easier.

A Synology 220J (open box) cost me $100 on Amazon a year ago, and holds 2 SSDs or HDDs (As large as you can put in there), for lightning fast (in case of SSD) or bulk (in case of HDD) storage.

 

[badgerbadgerx2]

We are talking about a person that is coming from a 2010 MBP, discussing the purchase of a $500 mini. No idea how big the drive is in that 2010 MBP, although it was easily upgradeable.

cool you found a box for $100, but most normal peeps will only find it for $200... + drive$ = $400 = almost the cost of a mini.

a simple 2 TB SSD (kind I mentioned above) are about $120.