This could be the perfect dorm room computer
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The brand-new Mac mini is available to preorder at the official Apple Store, and as expected, the brand's education store has a great discount for students and teachers.
Right now, you can get a $100 / £100 discount on all variants, with options starting at just $799 (was $899) or £799 (was £899) for the baseline M6 chipset model. That's easily the best discount on the device currently – and likely to be the best deal we'll see for a while, too.
At $799, the Mac mini looks like a great value for students or anyone who wants a decent desktop computer for the dorm room. While some may prefer a MacBook, the Mini is a really affordable option for hooking up external monitors and peripherals.
With the new M6 or M5 Pro chipset, the Mac mini should handle all your studying, browsing, or even more demanding applications. While Apple has touted the new chipset's AI capabilities, it will still be amazing for design work, music production, or video work.
Apple Mac mini: get $100 off at Apple Education StoreThe latest Mac mini has just arrived at the official Apple Education Store, and those eligible for a discount can already save $100 on a preorder. With your choice of either the new M6 or M5 Pro chipset, the Mac mini is perfect for powering through College-adjacent tasks like design work or studying. Despite its size, the combination of power and the excellent macOS makes it a fantastic choice for any student (or teacher). Preorders are now officially open for a September 22nd release date.
In the UK: get £100 off with Unidays discount
The new Mac Mini isn't a complete re-invention of the formula – it's essentially just a refresh of the existing model. Outwardly, the design is unchanged, but you're getting a host of internal upgrades that make it more competitive for 2026.
The biggest addition is the option to spec the new M6 chipset, which actually debuts on this generation of Macs. Apple will almost certainly update its MacBooks with the chipset soon, but for now, the 2026 Mac Mini is the only model to feature it. With this latest Mac Mini, you can choose the M6 chipset or the M5 Pro from the current MacBook Pro.
Apple has made a few claims about the performance of its new chipset, namely up to 40% faster CPU performance and up to four times faster AI performance. We've yet to verify those claims, but we can assume that there will be a decent bump in performance based on the specs alone. For most people, we expect the M6 chipset should be more than enough for most tasks, although the M5 Pro remains an option for those who really need that power and Thunderbolt 5 ports.
Regardless of whether you go for the M6 or M5 Pro, all models get the latest N1 chip for connectivity, which specifically supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. You'll also get a 2.5GB Ethernet port as standard, with the option to upgrade to 10GB if needed.
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Alex is TechRadar's retail editor, specializing in buying advice and general tips on how to save our readers as much cash as possible. He's covered major retail events in some capacity for over seven years now; both in editorial and other ecommerce adjacent roles on TechRadar, T3, GamesRadar, and other Future PLC sites. Alex's expertise touches on most areas, but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer.
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