Apple’s tiny desktop machine just dropped to its lowest price ever for Cyber Monday, and it offers deal-seekers a tantalizing opportunity to build an impressive Mac setup on the cheap.
Today, the 2024 Mac mini is selling for a record-low price at Amazon: just $479 after a $120 discount from its normal list price of $599, or a flat 20% off.
If you’ve been pining for a desktop Mac that you could jam into your backpack and that delivers far more than its weight class, this is it. Inventory and pricing can change quickly around Cyber Monday, but at the moment this is one of the standout values in Apple hardware.
Why this Mac mini deal stands out on Cyber Monday
Featuring Apple’s latest M4-era performance and 16GB of unified memory, as well as a 256GB SSD, the 2024 Mac mini can easily get through typical work, photo and audio edits, and heavy multitasking. It’s practically silent, extremely power-efficient and small enough to tuck beneath a monitor; not that you’d need one, since it provides all the responsiveness of a full-fledged desktop in a form factor this size.
Apple Intelligence apps work with this setup too, giving you on-device writing and organization tools as well as tasks for media that don’t require a lot of reliance on the cloud in macOS.
For desk setups, you get the essentials from Mac mini: high-performance Thunderbolt for external storage and displays, HDMI for easy hookup to a high-definition display, USB-A ports to connect to all your devices, and Gigabit Ethernet to connect the desktop to networks at fast speeds.
All of which adds up to make the Mac mini a versatile foundation for home offices, students and creators who already own a display and peripherals — or want to choose their own without paying an all-in-one premium.
How it compares for work and creativity tasks
Compared to a similarly priced Windows mini PC, Apple’s chip architecture usually delivers somewhat stronger single-threaded performance and better power efficiency — in other words, snappier app launches and longer sustained performance when fully utilized. Creative professional users working in apps such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Lightroom and Affinity Photo will easily be able to take advantage of the balanced CPU-GPU performance and fast media engines that let you export and work with complex effects faster.
What you give up compared to a MacBook Air is portability in exchange for higher horsepower and connectivity with the Mac mini. Compared with an iMac, it’s a cheaper way to get macOS if you already have your own 4K or ultrawide monitor — and you can upgrade that display down the line without having to buy a new computer.
Trackers of the industry have consistently said that Cyber Monday is when electronics are discounted most steeply. According to Adobe Analytics, electronics discounts for the past few years have topped out around 30%, typically on Cyber Monday — which is why that’s the day Apple desktops frequently see their strongest pricing of the year.
Price context and ideal timing for this Mac mini deal
At $599 MSRP, the Mac mini was already one of Apple’s most affordable Macs. Seriously undercutting list by over $100 is not typical for Apple desktops outside of the big shopping events, and dropping it down to $479 is worth mentioning. (Less $120 translates to 20% off — a particularly aggressive discount for an up-to-the-minute Mac.)
If you’re timing the purchase, keep in mind that Cyber Monday pricing can change quickly. Discounts on inventory are also frequently eased throughout the day by retailers. Historically, a deal doesn’t hit a new low and then stick around for the week. In other words: if this spec works for you, waiting might cause you to miss it.
What to know before you buy this discounted Mac mini
Think carefully about how much storage and memory you’ll need. The Mac mini’s unified memory and internal SSD are not user-upgradable, so it’s a wise idea to know up front whether 16GB/256GB suits your work. For large libraries, an external NVMe SSD over Thunderbolt can provide close to internal speeds for a fraction of Apple’s upgrade pricing.
You’ll also need a monitor, keyboard and mouse. The Mac mini can go toe-to-toe with high-resolution displays and works with two or more, so choose your monitor(s) wisely (HDMI or USB-C/Thunderbolt is key). For peace of mind, consider AppleCare+ and check on extended holiday return windows; big-box retailers tend to stretch out returns into January.
Who is this Mac mini Cyber Monday deal best for
Those working, studying or creating remotely — and who dwell within productivity suites or media apps — will find the most significant upgrade at this price. Developers firing off compiles, photographers batch-editing RAW files, and podcasters mixing multitrack sessions will appreciate the Mac mini’s speedy CPU/GPU combo and silent cooling.
If you want lots of internal storage or more display outputs, or if you need workstation-class features, a higher-end configuration or a Mac Studio may be better for you. But for most people, this all-time low Cyber Monday price makes the Mac mini one of the smartest desktop buys of the year.
Bottom line: current-generation performance at $479 for a compact, modern Mac is remarkable — and it’s also why this Cyber Monday deal is generating so much buzz.