Apple announces new $899 M6 Mac mini and $5,499 M5 Ultra Mac Studio
Apple has officially revealed its latest desktop computing powerhouses, introducing the M6 Mac mini alongside an upgraded Mac Studio featuring M5 Ultra silicon. This comprehensive overview covers everything you need to know about specs, 2-nanometer chip technology, pricing, and launch availability.
Apple Unveils New M6 Mac mini and M5 Ultra Mac Studio Desktops
That was fast: Just one day after rumors began circulating about fresh Mac hardware, Apple officially announced its latest desktop computers. The update brings a compact Mac mini powered by the all-new M6 chip as well as a heavy-duty Mac Studio featuring M5 Ultra silicon.
According to an official Apple press release, the M5 Ultra is the company's "most powerful chip ever." Both of these new processors deliver what Sri Santhanam, Apple's vice president of Silicon Engineering Group, called "the next giant leap in performance and AI compute."
However, these performance upgrades come with higher price tags across the desktop lineup. Users looking at component costs can (Blame RAMageddon.) for some of the price spikes across configuration options.
Overview of Starting Prices and Configurations
The entry-level price points for both desktop lineups have shifted compared to older generations:
- The M6 Mac mini starts at $899, which is $300 higher than its M4 predecessor.
- The M5 Ultra Mac Studio starts at $5,499, representing a $200 increase over the previous M3 Ultra model.
- Top-tier, fully spec'd setups can get significantly higher, where expensive configurations cost up to $18,299.
Both of these new Mac lines are also offered in secondary configurations using existing silicon from the M5 chip family. Crucially for hardware design fans, their external chassis designs remain identical to previous releases.
A maxed-out Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra will set you back $18,299
Preorder Details and Upcoming Apple Releases
Official Preorders for both the refreshed Mac mini and Mac Studio are live right now on the online Apple Store. Customers ordering today will see shipping start on September 22.
These announcements land right before Apple's highly anticipated annual hardware showcase in September. During that event, Apple is expected to launch several flagship devices:
- The flagship iPhone 18 series smartphones.
- A revolutionary foldable iPhone model.
- Updated smart home devices powered by new Siri capabilities.
- Newly redesigned Apple Watches.
M6 Debuts on the Mac mini: Specs and Performance
Credit: Apple
The flagship highlight of the new desktop hardware is the introduction of Apple's M6 chip, marking the company's inaugural processor constructed on a 2-nanometer manufacturing process. By packing more transistors onto smaller silicon compared to the 3nm technology found in M3, M4, and M5 processors, Apple claims this delivers "a major leap in performance and power efficiency."
The M6 processor packs two additional CPU and GPU cores compared to the standard M5 chip, bringing total core counts to 12 CPU cores and 12 GPU cores. It also features a Dual 16-core Neural Engine designed specifically for local AI compute tasks.
According to Apple's internal benchmarks, the M6 Mac mini offers up to four times faster AI performance and up to two times faster graphics rendering than the M4 desktop model. Apple recommends the base model for "everyday users, students, developers, AI hobbyists, and enterprises." The base system starts at $899, equipped with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space.
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Higher-Tier M5 Pro Mac mini Options
For professional workloads requiring even more power, Apple is offering the compact desktop configured with the M5 Pro chip. This version steps up processing power considerably for heavy demands:
- Up to an 18-core CPU and a 20-core GPU.
- Memory support up to 64GB of RAM and storage up to 8TB.
- Base price starting at $1,699 with 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of SSD storage.
Apple specifically highlights the M5 Pro configuration for "pro users" who run "demanding workflows like app development, video rendering, scientific simulations, and more."
Connectivity gets a substantial speed boost across both Mac mini chips. The system supports 2.5Gb Ethernet out of the box, with an optional 10Gb Ethernet upgrade, alongside support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 wireless standards.
This hardware overhaul is especially timely given that Mac mini desktops have become a popular choice for users hosting local AI agents. Due to this high demand, earlier M4 models were often hard to find in stock.
M5 Ultra Beefs Up the Mac Studio for Heavy Workloads
Credit: Apple
The new M5 Ultra processor brings another major milestone for Apple silicon: it is Apple's first chip built with a quad-die architecture. Engineers created the processor by fusing two dual-die M5 Max chips together into a single unit.
The hardware capabilities of the M5 Ultra are massive:
- Up to a 36-core CPU and up to an 80-core GPU.
- Up to a massive 512GB of unified memory.
- Unified memory bandwidth reaching up to 1.2TB/s.
For comparison, the previous M3 Ultra was capped at 32 CPU cores, 96GB of RAM, and 819GB/s memory bandwidth. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio delivers up to 4.5 times faster AI compute performance and up to 40 percent faster graphics processing than the M3 Ultra system it replaces.
Johny Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer, described the system as "the ultimate desktop for on-device AI and the world's most demanding pro workflows."
Pricing and Specs for the New Mac Studio
The base M5 Ultra Mac Studio starts at $5,499. That base configuration packs a 30-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 36GB of unified memory, and a 512GB SSD.
If you don't need the full power of the Ultra chip, Apple also offers a lower-tier Mac Studio configured with the M5 Max chip starting at $2,499. Both Mac Studio variations support the latest WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity standards.
Where to Order New Apple Desktop Computers
Credit: Apple
Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
Price: $899 at the Apple Store
Credit: Apple
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
Price: $5,499 at the Apple Store
Final Thoughts on Apple's New Mac Lineup
Whether you need an entry-level compact desktop or a top-tier workstation for heavy artificial intelligence processing, Apple's latest hardware lineup brings major improvements in speed and efficiency. The newly announced M6 Mac mini and M5 Ultra Mac Studio showcase significant breakthroughs in silicon architecture, giving users plenty of reasons to upgrade when shipments begin on September 22.
from Mashable
-via DynaSage
