Going back to school and want a premium PC? The Apple mini M2 is for you

By Beren Neale
last updated

Apple's M2-chip Mac mini is down from $599 to $499 for all students who need a serious PC for their studies.

The M2 Mac mini next to text that spells 'massive deal'.
(Image credit: Future)

If you're a student (or a teacher, for that matter), and you're in need of a high-end PC before heading back to school, college or university, we highly recommend the Mac mini (M2, 2023). Especially when you get $100 off the price over at Apple.

As we said in our review, it's a word-class computer, and as long as you have a keyboard, monitor and mouse already, it's perfect for more high-end student work, including video editing. The down side? Well, it's probably overkill for a lot of student courses that only involve browsing and text documents. And you'll have to find yourself a monitor, keyboard and mouse. However, if your workload justifies the super-powerful M2-chipped Mac mini, for only $499 you could afford to get the other equipment and still be paying less than the equivalent M2-chipped MacBook Pro laptop. Bargain!

got our hands on this Mac mini</a> at the beginning of the year, we were impressed by its 'immense power', and called it, 'one of, if not the, best small form factor PCs money can buy'. Looking around at the other top tech sites, they all agree.&nbsp;</p>" data-widget-price="{&quot;currency&quot;:&quot;USD&quot;}" data-widget-type="deal" data-render-type="editorial">
Apple Mac mini (8GB, 256GB, M2, 2023) $599

Apple Mac mini (8GB, 256GB, M2, 2023)
Was: $599
Now: $499 at Apple
Save $100

Overview: For the price, this is one of the best computers out there. You're getting the famed Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. This might be overkill for a lot of student work, but if you want a powerful PC that can handle pretty much anything, this is a great option. 

Key features: The M2 chip is Apple's latest, bringing speed, power and reliability to its computers. It's got two Thunderbolt 4, HDMI and two USB-A ports. It can also support two displays at the same time (up to 6K and 5K), should you want that set up. 

Price history: The Mac mini is already sold at the fair retail price of $599, so to get $100 off the M2 model is a great deal. This student-exclusive deal has already been matched for all retailers, but only for a short period of time over Amazon Prime Day. 

Price comparison: $599 at Best Buy

Reviews: When we got our hands on this Mac mini at the beginning of the year, we were impressed by its 'immense power', and called it, 'one of, if not the, best small form factor PCs money can buy'. Looking around at the other top tech sites, they all agree. 

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Beren Neale
Beren Neale
Deals Editor

Beren has worked on creative tech magazines and websites at Future Publishing for 13 years. He started this journey as Staff Writer on the digital art magazine ImagineFX, and in 2012 found himself bridging the magazine/website divide as Commissioning Editor on the newly launched Creative Bloq. Since then he took the editor role on ImagineFX, was Launch Editor of the fine art magazine Paint & Draw, moved to Canon Pro Europe website as Deputy Editor, and then edited the graphic design magazine Computer Arts. In 2020 he moved back to Creative Bloq, the biggest global art and design website, and as Deals Editor has applied his expertise in creative tech to help digital creatives get the best deals on the kit that they need and love. Outside of work, Beren likes nothing better than to climb himself a bit of rock.  

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