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Our research indicates that this offer is $49.01 lower (6% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $829.
This offer matches previous Front Page deal that earned 357+ thumbs up.
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Not true. There have been videos showcasing even this base model as a gaming PC (ex: ETAPrime's on YouTube). Runs modern games at 1080p/60fps or 1440p with Metal upscaling. Kind of crazy how capable this thing is.
Macs don't operate like a PC. Keep in mind that a PC needs 2x the RAM to come close to the performance of a mac. It's night-and-day. Apple silicon is more like a phone than a PC. An 8GB m1 from six years ago is still snappier than a Ryzen AM4 with 16GB of RAM when editing HD video, compiling code, or running local models.
It's not to say you can't get a good dedicated GPU for models (with +16GB of RAM) or the fastest Gen 4/5 NVMe and approach the level of mac performance, but notice how much a PC like that costs.
Apple's Mac mini here is framed as a compact, fast desktop that can handle everyday work well and even some gaming, with strong single thread performance and Mac efficiency helping 16GB go further than expected. The small form factor is a major draw, and external storage or a Thunderbolt NVMe dock can make 256GB workable for lighter setups. The main knocks are the fixed RAM and storage, which block upgrades and make the price feel high for a near $800 machine. That makes it best suited to buyers who can live within the base configuration.
People doing light everyday computing, because the base model is described as fast for surfing, office work, and other light-duty tasks.
Creators and coders whose workloads stay within 16GB, because Apple silicon can feel snappier than a PC with more RAM for video editing, compiling code, and local models.
Power users who need to upgrade memory or storage later, because the RAM and NVMe are fixed and a larger configuration means selling and rebuying the machine.
At $779.99, the price is seen as high for a 16GB/256GB configuration, especially compared with recent lower-priced Mac mini deals and open-box alternatives. A nearby Micro Center open-box unit around $700 or an M4 16/256 deal around $679 has been cited as a better value.
16GB is enough for many everyday and even some heavier tasks because Apple silicon can stretch memory further than a typical PC. It may still be too little for users who want 24GB or more for their workload, especially if they expect to keep many apps or models open at once.
256GB can work if you plan to use external storage from the start, including Thunderbolt NVMe docks or small external SSDs. It is a poor fit if you want to keep large game libraries or lots of local files on the internal drive, since the storage is fixed and not user-upgradeable.
No, the RAM and internal storage are fixed, so you cannot upgrade them later. That makes the base configuration a long-term commitment and can force a sell-and-rebuy path if your needs grow.
It can handle gaming better than a light-duty-only machine, with videos showing the base model running modern games at 1080p/60fps or 1440p with Metal upscaling. It is still not ideal if you want to install very large game libraries on the internal 256GB drive.
I understand that this is a deal in the sense that it's 2026 and people are gobbling up unified mac systems for AI, but F*; $800 for a 16GB system? The world is going backwards. 16GB is a basic machine now, or it should be. Yes you can run small models on this. Is it worth $800? I literally just bought another P100 16GB for $100 that has higher bandwidth than this.
I remember just a couple months ago these were still obtainable at $499, although with the M4. The prices are stupid because of the NAND and RAM shortage with AI. I've also been a Mac user since the old Classic Mac OS days.
If there wasn't a component shortage I'd bet the price would be similar to the previous gen and 16/256 would be more acceptable.
It would likely be more acceptable but it's hard to say. My point was that it's ridiculous to downvote people for making good faith criticisms, as the comment I initially responded to didn't come off as trolling or anything.
And either way, I consider the lack of an internal M2 port for expansion a significant design flaw which has kept me from buying this form factor over a x86 machine (I've been using Apple for years but I have mostly moved away from the brand due to design decisions.. now that Hackintosh is no longer viable I haven't decided what I'll do going forward).
The M4 version which had 16GB ram and sometimes dropped a good $100 below $500 was a very good deal and the drive was modular and could be replaced with a third party solution. Even now, I'd buy that over the M6 for that reason alone.
Top Comments
It's not to say you can't get a good dedicated GPU for models (with +16GB of RAM) or the fastest Gen 4/5 NVMe and approach the level of mac performance, but notice how much a PC like that costs.
Community Reviews
Apple's Mac mini here is framed as a compact, fast desktop that can handle everyday work well and even some gaming, with strong single thread performance and Mac efficiency helping 16GB go further than expected. The small form factor is a major draw, and external storage or a Thunderbolt NVMe dock can make 256GB workable for lighter setups. The main knocks are the fixed RAM and storage, which block upgrades and make the price feel high for a near $800 machine. That makes it best suited to buyers who can live within the base configuration.
People doing light everyday computing, because the base model is described as fast for surfing, office work, and other light-duty tasks.
Creators and coders whose workloads stay within 16GB, because Apple silicon can feel snappier than a PC with more RAM for video editing, compiling code, and local models.
Desktop users who plan to keep external storage attached, because 256GB can work when apps and data are offloaded to a drive or Thunderbolt NVMe dock.
Gamers targeting lighter PC-style play, because the base model can run modern games at 1080p 60fps or 1440p with Metal upscaling.
Power users who need to upgrade memory or storage later, because the RAM and NVMe are fixed and a larger configuration means selling and rebuying the machine.
Shoppers expecting workstation-level value at this price, because $779.99 is viewed as too high for a 16GB/256GB configuration.
Gamers wanting to install huge libraries locally, because 256GB fills quickly and is not meant for 100GB game installs.
People who need at least 24GB of memory for their workflow, because 16GB is not enough for their use case.
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If there wasn't a component shortage I'd bet the price would be similar to the previous gen and 16/256 would be more acceptable.
And either way, I consider the lack of an internal M2 port for expansion a significant design flaw which has kept me from buying this form factor over a x86 machine (I've been using Apple for years but I have mostly moved away from the brand due to design decisions.. now that Hackintosh is no longer viable I haven't decided what I'll do going forward).
The M4 version which had 16GB ram and sometimes dropped a good $100 below $500 was a very good deal and the drive was modular and could be replaced with a third party solution. Even now, I'd buy that over the M6 for that reason alone.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!