Technologies

Best Mac Studio Deals: Up to $200 Off at Best Buy for Totaltech Members

The 2022 Mac Studio is Apple’s most powerful desktop computer to date. Here are the best places to buy one.

Last year, Apple added a new compact desktop: the Mac Studio. Essentially a supercharged version of the Mac Mini, the machine hit shelves in March 2022 and we’ve been tracking Mac Studio deals ever since.

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 that features the M1 Max processor found in the top-end 2021 MacBook Pro models, and one that is equipped with an even more powerful M1 Ultra chip.

A Mac Studio Desktop and box on a wooden table. — Dan Ackerman/CNET

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Whether you’re a developer or content creator, having a fast and powerful computer is a must, which is why Apple says this machine can «deliver an unprecedented level of performance, an extensive array of connectivity, and completely new capabilities in an unbelievably compact design that sits within arm’s reach on the desk.»

Apple was serious when it spoke about power. You can configure the Mac Studio to come with up to 128GB of RAM, an 8TB SSD and up to a 64-core GPU. Like with many other Apple desktops and laptops, you’ll need to make your configuration choices while ordering. You can make changes to the system-on-a-chip (processor), memory, storage and opt to include preinstalled software if you wish.

Retailing for $1,999 and up, the Mac Studio is now readily available to buy and pick up in-store, and we’ve been on the hunt for the best Mac Studio deals across a variety of retailers since its launch. We’ve listed the best Mac Studio deals available right now below and we’ll keep this list updated as new offers emerge to help save you the most cash.

Best Mac Studio deals

Best Buy

Totaltech member savings + free Apple services

Best Buy has both M1 Max and M1 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio models available to order and is offering up to $200 off for members of its Totaltech program. That’s a $200-per-year subscription, so not worth signing up for specifically to get in on this deal, but worth noting if you already subscribe. In addition, Best Buy is dishing out four months of Apple Music, three months of Apple TV Plus and three months of iCloud Plus with the purchase of a Mac Studio for new or returning to subscribers to those services.

See at Best Buy

Apple

3% Apple Card cash-back

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. There are two variants, one with the M1 Max chip and one with the brand-new M1 Ultra chip. 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.

See at Apple

B&H

Save the tax

B&H has various Mac Studio configurations available to order, though none currently have direct discounts. The retailer does, however, offer 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.

See at B&H

Adorama

Rewards program

You can configure a Mac Studio to order at Adorama, though there are no direct discounts to be found at present. The Adorama Rewards program is free to sign up for, though, and allows you to earn points to redeem as credit against future purchases.

See at Adorama

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Use the CNET Shopping extension to compare prices of your favorite models at different retailers or add promo codes to your cart with a single click.

Technologies

This Transformable Electric Truck Could Become the Cheapest EV in the US

Merging retro touches with a high-tech electric platform, the Slate Truck offers a customizable, budget-friendly alternative to traditional EVs.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #686

Hints and answers for Connections for April 27, #686.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections puzzle might make you hungry — especially if you spot the four words in the blue category. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Do the math.

Green group hint: Tresses.

Blue group hint: Munchies.

Purple group hint: Think Stockholm.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Calculator buttons.

Green group: Amounts of hair.

Blue group: Salty snack unit.

Purple group: Swedish ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is calculator buttons. The four answers are equals, minus, percent and times.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is amounts of hair. The four answers are lock, shock, thatch and tuft.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is salty snack unit. The four answers are Combo, Goldfish, Ruffle and Taki.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Swedish ____. The four answers are Chef, Fish, massage and meatball.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #420

Here are hints — and answers — for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 420 for April 27.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Sleep used to be so simple, but now it can be complex, as we try to add in extra things to help us get that good night’s rest. Today’s NYT Strands puzzle highlights sleep assistance, and a few of the words are tricky. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Sleep tight

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Zzzzz…

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BEDS, MINE, TAKE, TAKES, TAKER, STAKE, LATS, EARL, PLUG, PLUGS, ROUT, MIKE, DATE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: