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kardiackidneykids 192K Views
May 11, 2021 7:52 AM

Costco Members: Apple Mac mini (Late 2020): M1 CPU w/ 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD

$600

$670

10% off
+ Free Shippingat Costco Wholesale
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Deal Details
Costco Wholesale has for its Members: Apple Mac mini w/ Apple M1 Chip (MGNR3LL/A, Late 2020) on sale for $599.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member kardiackidneykids for finding this deal.

Specs:
  • Apple M1 Chip 8-core CPU (4 performance cores & 4 efficiency cores)
  • 8GB Unified Memory
  • 256GB Solid State Drive
  • 8-core GPU
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 & Bluetooth 5.0
  • macOS Big Sur
  • Ports:
    • 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4
    • 2x USB A
    • 1x HDMI 2
    • 1x Gigabit Ethernet Port
    • 1x 3.5 mm Headphone Jack

Editor's Notes

Written by qwikwit | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Price matches this Frontpage Deal from February that received +161 votes from the community.
  • Ratings/Reviews:
    • PC Mag gives the new Mac mini a 4.5/5 (excellent) rating
      • "With a new lower starting price and Apple's straining-at-the-leash M1 CPU, the Mac mini is far and away the most polished, potent tiny desktop in its class."

Original Post

Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Costco Wholesale has for its Members: Apple Mac mini w/ Apple M1 Chip (MGNR3LL/A, Late 2020) on sale for $599.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member kardiackidneykids for finding this deal.

Specs:
  • Apple M1 Chip 8-core CPU (4 performance cores & 4 efficiency cores)
  • 8GB Unified Memory
  • 256GB Solid State Drive
  • 8-core GPU
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 & Bluetooth 5.0
  • macOS Big Sur
  • Ports:
    • 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4
    • 2x USB A
    • 1x HDMI 2
    • 1x Gigabit Ethernet Port
    • 1x 3.5 mm Headphone Jack

Editor's Notes

Written by qwikwit | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Price matches this Frontpage Deal from February that received +161 votes from the community.
  • Ratings/Reviews:
    • PC Mag gives the new Mac mini a 4.5/5 (excellent) rating
      • "With a new lower starting price and Apple's straining-at-the-leash M1 CPU, the Mac mini is far and away the most polished, potent tiny desktop in its class."

Original Post

Community Voting

Deal Score
+174
Good Deal

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451 Comments

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May 19, 2021 10:32 PM
74 Comments
Joined Feb 2018
creaytMay 19, 2021 10:32 PM
74 Comments
Whoever recommended asking Costco chat for the $50 off code, thank you so much. They applied one to my Mac Mini order retroactively, so that was $549, and I was able to use the one they gave me on the new iPad to get it for $100 less than on Apple.com

I LOVE YOU GUYS Big Grin
May 19, 2021 10:33 PM
74 Comments
Joined Feb 2018
creaytMay 19, 2021 10:33 PM
74 Comments
y
Quote from ThaiM View quoted comment :
there's 3 group of people in these thread.

1. don't know anything about anything, just care if it works.
-no complaints, no issues, great price, thumbs up.

2. think they know everything.
-complaints and spec comparison all the time on why their opinion is absolute. use as many technical terms as possible to prove they really know.

3. know enough to be dangerous.
-try to steal piece meal a bunch of opinions together and create a creative opinion
You forgot 4. keeps track of all of the types of people and posts about it Big Grin
3
May 20, 2021 12:56 AM
39 Comments
Joined Dec 2018
BaksjuMay 20, 2021 12:56 AM
39 Comments
Quote from SmilingHorn3826 View quoted comment :
Probably better off getting it with 16gb RAM from Micro Center now for $799
Well that depends, if you don't need extra 8gb then why waste $200?
1
May 20, 2021 1:15 AM
658 Comments
Joined Jan 2005
vparamMay 20, 2021 1:15 AM
658 Comments
Is there someone who bought it just for the heck of it? Say you didn't want to buy it but you saw the deal and the coupon and decided to go for it even though you didn't need it. I am resisting it so far. 😊
May 20, 2021 1:19 AM
777 Comments
Joined Sep 2006
ArgoNavisMay 20, 2021 1:19 AM
777 Comments
Quote from creayt View quoted comment :
If you REALLY want to make your a non-M1 mac sing, you can install Windows 10 in Bootcamp. On the same Intel hardware Windows 10 is *markedly* faster than OS X. It'll make your old mac feel like new again even.
Faster, maybe. But you'll still have to use the turd that is Windows 10. I would rather have a normal, usable OS than worry about a few percent better performance.
May 20, 2021 1:35 AM
97 Comments
Joined Jun 2019
VictorS1991May 20, 2021 1:35 AM
97 Comments
Quote from vparam View quoted comment :
Is there someone who bought it just for the heck of it? Say you didn't want to buy it but you saw the deal and the coupon and decided to go for it even though you didn't need it. I am resisting it so far. 😊
Go for it bro. Test it and or return it.
2
May 20, 2021 1:36 AM
97 Comments
Joined Jun 2019
VictorS1991May 20, 2021 1:36 AM
97 Comments
Quote from creayt View quoted comment :
Whoever recommended asking Costco chat for the $50 off code, thank you so much. They applied one to my Mac Mini order retroactively, so that was $549, and I was able to use the one they gave me on the new iPad to get it for $100 less than on Apple.com

I LOVE YOU GUYS Big Grin
You're welcome 😉

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May 20, 2021 1:41 AM
552 Comments
Joined Jun 2012
Hefewe1zenMay 20, 2021 1:41 AM
552 Comments
Quote from MrSkeptic View quoted comment :
The Mini I bought from Apple is FedExing its way back. The huge lack of connectivity on this entry-level unit and the horridness of not-read-for-prime-time current Big Sur were the main reasons. That unit had a 500 GB SSD. That, I quickly figure out, wasn't going to be enough once I started using it. My 2012 unibody MBPro has 16GB of RAM and can be restored (or just specific files, unlike the sledgehammer known as Time Machine) easily via an external CCC or Superduper backup; Apple did not allow for that.
Note that if you get one, DO NOT turn on Filevault. It corrupted, rendering updates impossible.
Plus, the inability to upgrade components on current Mac computers is a huge jump-the-shark blunder. This is a 2-decade Mac user writing this.
For those who like cars with idiot lights, a unit like this might work for you.
These drives are already encrypted at the hardware level... and that is terrible advice.
May 20, 2021 1:44 AM
552 Comments
Joined Jun 2012
Hefewe1zenMay 20, 2021 1:44 AM
552 Comments
Quote from creayt View quoted comment :
If you REALLY want to make your a non-M1 mac sing, you can install Windows 10 in Bootcamp. On the same Intel hardware Windows 10 is *markedly* faster than OS X. It'll make your old mac feel like new again even.
So... buy a device with proprietary hardware to run a proprietary OS only to install and use Windows? Just buy a PC then. Or build one. You'll save a lot of money...
May 20, 2021 1:50 AM
593 Comments
Joined Oct 2009
feldz23May 20, 2021 1:50 AM
593 Comments
I am still using my MacBook Air from 2014 8GB with no issues.
May 20, 2021 1:53 AM
30 Comments
Joined Feb 2021
TenseFaucet1565May 20, 2021 1:53 AM
30 Comments
i don't know what can run on this spec except light web browsing...
1
May 20, 2021 3:49 AM
2.5K Comments
Joined Nov 2014
WestCoastSDerMay 20, 2021 3:49 AM
2.5K Comments
Enjoy your base M1 Mini everyone. I'm running Logic Pro with my new midi keyboard and recorded 10 instrumental tracks to test performance. Only reached 5.89 GB of RAM.
May 20, 2021 4:32 AM
3.7K Comments
Joined Nov 2012
WingsOfFMay 20, 2021 4:32 AM
3.7K Comments
Quote from MrSkeptic View quoted comment :
And restoring via CCC or Superduper is impossible because Apple rushed out the OS far too quickly. With OSX, you simply restore from your image. Not so with Big Sur.
This is not a problem anymore. CCC will create Big Sur backup snapshots and even bootable copies on another drive now. I do this all the time for a Hackintosh, to keep a backup before any update just in case.

When Big Sur came out Apple disabled a system feature that all these clone software were using for security reasons, not because they rushed it out. So, the backup software could create backups of data but not bootable backup/restore of OS. That has been solved in subsequent versions of CCC with considerable rewrite I believe. Not sure if Super Duper ever updated to handle Big Sur.
May 20, 2021 4:46 AM
3.7K Comments
Joined Nov 2012
WingsOfFMay 20, 2021 4:46 AM
3.7K Comments
Quote from vparam View quoted comment :
Is there someone who bought it just for the heck of it? Say you didn't want to buy it but you saw the deal and the coupon and decided to go for it even though you didn't need it. I am resisting it so far. 😊
Yes, the 16GGB refurb deal at Apple from a previous thread but subsequently returned it. It was a nice to have but not a must have for my use - code development, video transcoding, etc., with many limitations. Couldn't justify the price.

It is not a bad idea to update from an old 2011 Mac Mini which cannot install current OS even though it runs fine on Mojave for most uses. If you have the last version of Mac Mini, then it is a tougher call. The paper spec differences aren't awe inspiring, unless having paid all that money colors your perceptions. Smilie

The problem with this configuration is that the M1 chip is an overkill with no tangible benfits for apps that are happy with 8GB or less. The kind of apps where the M1 really shows its stuff tend to also use a lot memory. The M1 doesn't reduce the amount of memory apps use, just makes it faster to access.

The SSD is basically the bottleneck for throughput performance in real use and there is diminishing returns with higher cpu power. It is like owning a car with a 600hp engine that doesn't contribute much for typical use over a 200hp engine.

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May 20, 2021 4:54 AM
448 Comments
Joined Jul 2012
TempTagMay 20, 2021 4:54 AM
448 Comments

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank

The 8GB versus 16GB RAM is silly in 2021 - no way am I buying 8GB RAM. (My answer might be different if Apple offered upgradable RAM.)

Apple is touting their M1 chip as groundbreaking but base models lack RAM and storage to use it. My 2012 Mini has 16GB RAM which is one of the reasons it's still useful after all these years as well as far more SSD storage. My last PC build had 64GB RAM. (64GB is probably overkill but great for running multiple Adobe apps at the same time.) Folks who buy 8 will regret it sooner rather than later.
Last edited by TempTag May 19, 2021 at 09:57 PM.
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