Deal | M2 Mac Mini on sale at Amazon for just under US$500

Apple's M2 processors have breathed new life into the company's line of computers, particularly the Mac Mini. The mini machine is one of the most powerful small form factor desktops on the market, and you can snag the base model for a penny shy of US$500 today at Amazon.

The M2 Mac Mini is the latest variant of Apple's tiny desktop. Building on last year's M1 Mac Mini, the latest Mac Mini boasts Apple's powerful custom M2 silicon, comprised of an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. While the Mac Mini is crammed into a tiny package, it packs a serious punch, particularly for those that use Apple's ecosystem of applications.

In addition to the powerful M2 chip, the models on sale today have 8 GB of unified memory (used for both system RAM and graphics VRAM) and either a 256 GB or 512 GB SSD. Both models sport a decent selection of ports, including two USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports (40 Gbps, DisplayPort, 6K/60 Hz), an HDMI port (4K/60 Hz), a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. 

Today's sale puts the 256 GB model of the M2 Mac Mini at US$499.99, a savings of $100. Bumping the storage up to 512 GB puts the price at $689, which is $110 less than its retail price. Keep in mind that the SSD is soldered to the logic board, so it's not user-upgradeable. However, the two Thunderbolt 4 ports open the door for speedy external storage should more space be needed.

You can buy the M2 Mac Mini at Amazon.