The Mac Mini has always been popular because it takes up almost no space on your desk, but it isn’t particularly powerful. That’s where the Mac Studio comes in: It offers much more power in a body that won’t dominate your office space. Whether you’re writing code, editing videos or you just don’t like waiting for apps to load, it’s a great desktop Mac. The current model has the quick M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips, but it definitely isn’t the cheapest one around. That’s why we’ve scoured the the internet to help you find the best prices available today.
The Mac Studio is arguably the best desktop Mac, given its power and surprisingly small footprint. The latest model comes with the incredibly fast M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. But that also means that they can be quite pricey, which is why we’ve found all the best ways to save money on one.
Essentially, a supercharged version of the M2 Mac Mini, the Mac Studio comes with serious hardware that’s designed to handle even the most demanding tasks with ease. There are two different versions of the machine: one with the M2 Max processor found in the top-end 2022 MacBook Pro models, and one that’s equipped with an even more powerful M2 Ultra chip.
Designed to be used by creatives, software developers or just people who don’t want to wait around for their apps to load, the Mac Studio is a beast of a computer.
Apple was serious when it spoke about power. You can configure the Mac Studio to come with up to 192GB of RAM, an 8TB solid-state drive and up to a 76-core GPU. Like with many other Apple desktops and laptops, you’ll need to make your configuration choices when ordering. You can make changes to the system-on-a-chip (processor), memory and storage, and opt to include preinstalled software if you wish.
Read more: Apple Mac Studio Review: A Compact Desktop for Creators
Retailing for $1,999 and up, the Mac Studio is now readily available to buy and pick up in-store, and we’re always on the hunt for the best Mac Studio deals across a variety of retailers. Check out the best Mac Studio deals available right now below and save yourself some cash on your next Mac upgrade.
Best Mac Studio deals
Best Buy is one of the few places we have seen offer direct savings on the Mac Studio in the past. While the M1 models are currently sold out, you can get the M2 models — however, right now, they’re listed at full price. However, select My Best Buy rewards members can take advantage of exclusive discounts, and Best Buy also has its own trade-in program where you can save up to $265 in exchange for your old laptop or desktop.
If you want complete customizability without having to navigate certain configurations being in or out of stock, shopping from Apple directly is the obvious choice. Apple has both the M2 Max and M2 Ultra model available, and pricing starts at $1,999 for the former and $3,999 for the latter. Apple won’t be discounting the Mac Studio, but you can pay in installments if that suits your budget better and get 3% cash back if you pay using your Apple Card*.
You can currently save $100 off your new Mac Studio at B&H. The retailer also offers a neat way to save on sales tax with its house-branded B&H Payboo Credit Card* — it gives you the tax back as cash back. On a purchase as large as a Mac Studio, that could be a decent chunk of change depending on where you live.
Adorama has a 6% discount applied which knocks off $110. Not a huge number but better than a lot out there right now. You can also save 5% when you use the Adorama Edge Credit Card*, and the retailer has a rewards program that allows you to earn points to redeem as credit against future purchases.
*All information about the Apple Card, B&H Payboo Credit Card, and Adorama Edge Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.