There are a ton of hardware deals to take advantage of today, but the three we found on Amazon that we believe are worth your time are the M2 Mac mini, the WD_BLACK 4TB SN850X SSD, and the 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD card. As you would guess, their pricing will not blow a hole through your wallet.

Apple’s 2023 M2 Mac mini

Launched earlier this year, the M2 Mac mini has seen its fair share of discounts almost immediately after it got listed on Amazon. The base model is $100 cheaper than before, starting from $499.99 instead of $599.99, and for us, there is no better value for purchasing Apple hardware than the one you are looking at right now. As the name suggests, this machine features the company’s latest and greatest M2 SoC, offering an 8-core and a 10-core GPU for improved multi-core and graphics performance.

The enclosure is made out of CNC aluminum, which you would expect from Apple, and alongside the M2 chipset, you get 8GB of unified RAM and 256GB of PCIe NVMe storage. We will remind potential buyers that if they intend to purchase this machine, do note that absolutely nothing can be upgraded in the near or distant future, so be extra careful when buying the Mac mini. If you feel that the specifications are inadequate for your daily use, then you can opt for the higher-spec’d model, which will set you back by $679, and offers 512GB of storage instead of 256GB.

The ports selection of the M2 Mac mini is quite decent for its price

The port selection is decent for something as compact as the M2 Mac mini, and what is strange is seeing USB-A ports on this machine, especially when Apple has a habit of getting rid of such inputs for USB-C. Speaking of USB-C, you will also find two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI outlet to connect to an external monitor, and an RJ45 Ethernet port if you prefer a wired internet connection instead of a wireless setup. The M2 is also found on the redesigned MacBook Air, but that is expensive and may not fit your budget.

Possibly the only drawback to purchasing the 2023 Mac mini is that it is not as portable as one would imagine. Sure, it is small enough to fit in your backpack, but you also need to carry around an external display, and that might be too cumbersome for your liking.

WD_BLACK 4TB SN850X PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

We have talked about this solid-state drive quite a few times in previous deals, and that is because of the insane storage-to-price proposition it brings to the table. There was a time when 4TB SSDs were priced between the $500-$600 range, and seeing the SN850X go down to $329.99 is certainly a welcome sight. Since this is a PCIe 4.0 SSD, you will experience insane read and write speeds, with Western Digital stating that you can get up to 7,300MB/s data transfer throughput, just as long as you plug this in a compatible M.2 slot that supports the PCIe Gen 4 protocol.

Its high data transfer speeds also mean it will be compatible with your PS5, and if you want to give your desktop or laptop computer a notable speed bump, this is the model you should go for. While the WD_BLACK SN850X 4TB SSD is compatible with PCIe Gen 3 ports, you will not experience the same bandwidth, so that is something to keep in mind before making a purchase. PCIe 3.0 SSDs with 4TB of storage are significantly cheaper than the $329.99 asking price of this model.

Those insane data transfer speeds will give your PS5, desktop or laptop computer a massive speed upgrade

Another thing to keep in mind is that with the 4TB of storage, the memory chips are present on each side of the drive’s PCB. While it should have little to no problems fitting inside your PS5’s or desktop motherboard’s M.2 slot, it might become an issue when slotting in your laptop’s port. This is because some manufacturers often shave the thickness of their laptops, so some models can only accommodate 2TB SSDs as memory chips are present on just a single side. In any case, we recommend consulting some online reviews or your laptop’s user manual to better understand what will fit and what will not.

While you consult your laptop’s user manual, you should also know that alongside this 4TB SSD, there are other storage drive options from Western Digital to choose from. You get flavors of 480GB, 1TB, and even 2TB, with prices starting from just $26.99 on Amazon. You don’t need to get the 4TB model, assuming you think that this much storage is overkill for your requirements.

SanDisk Extreme 256GB microSD card

These days, microSD cards have become remarkably affordable to the point where your bank account does not even feel the pinch when making a purchase. However, getting the 256GB SanDisk Extreme model for $21.99 is a rare opportunity because this storage card exudes exceptional performance and impressive durability and can be used in various conditions. According to the company, this particular microSD card can deliver read speeds of 160MB/s and write speeds of 90MB/s.

SanDisk also says that its Extreme series of microSD cards are made for 4K video, meaning that you can slot these into your action cameras, drones, or even smartphones and start recording at the UHD resolution for that crisp footage. If you have an SD card adapter lying around, you can also use it for laptop storage expansion purposes by fitting this in, though we will not always recommend this move.

This storage card was made to handle 4K video recording

If you want a card reader alongside the SanDisk Extreme microSD card, that is going to cost a little extra, as the combo is going for $32.98 on Amazon. The card reader features a USB-A interface, which will be compatible with any laptop or desktop with the same port. For a MacBook Pro, however, you might need to have a dongle at hand.

Get the M2 Mac mini for $499

Get the WD_BLACK 4TB SN850X PCIe 4.0 SSD for $329.99

Get the SanDisk Extreme 256GB microSD card for $21.99