Apple has started sales of its new Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops following their August introduction. The range spans the M6 and M5 Pro-powered Mac mini, plus Mac Studio models with M5 Max or M5 Ultra silicon, with the highest-end Studio configuration supporting up to 512GB of unified memory.
The update keeps the familiar compact designs but shifts the emphasis to on-device AI processing. Apple says the M6 Mac mini can deliver up to four times the AI performance and up to twice the graphics performance of the M4-based Mac mini, while CPU performance can be up to 40% higher.
Mac mini adds M6 and M5 Pro options
The M6 version has a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, with Neural Accelerators integrated into every graphics core. It starts with 16GB of unified memory, supports up to 32GB, and offers 170GB/s of memory bandwidth.
For heavier video, software development and 3D workloads, Apple also offers the Mac mini with M5 Pro. That chip can scale to an 18-core CPU, a 20-core GPU, up to 64GB of unified memory and 307GB/s of memory bandwidth.
- Mac mini with M6: 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, 16GB to 32GB unified memory and 170GB/s bandwidth.
- Mac mini with M5 Pro: up to an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 64GB unified memory and 307GB/s bandwidth.
- Both Mac mini versions: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, 2.5Gb Ethernet with an optional 10Gb Ethernet upgrade, two front USB-C ports and a headphone jack.
- M6 Mac mini: three rear Thunderbolt 4 ports.
- M5 Pro Mac mini: Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.
Mac Studio targets large local AI workloads
Mac Studio moves further into workstation territory with M5 Max and M5 Ultra options. The M5 Max model can include an 18-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU and up to 128GB of unified memory. M5 Ultra can reach a 36-core CPU, an 80-core GPU, 512GB of unified memory and 1.2TB/s of memory bandwidth.
Apple claims M5 Ultra delivers up to 4.3 times the AI performance of the M3 Ultra-based Mac Studio and up to 1.8 times the graphics performance. Its intended workloads include 3D rendering, visual effects, video production and running large AI models locally.
Thunderbolt 5 with RDMA is also positioned as a feature for multi-system AI deployments. Apple says several Mac Studio systems can be grouped for distributed AI inference, reaching up to three times the performance of a single Mac Studio. The desktop can drive up to eight displays, including up to four Studio Display XDR units at 5K resolution and 120Hz.
Both desktop families ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate and the latest Apple Intelligence features. Apple says the updated Siri can draw on context from messages, email and photos, while Visual Intelligence can analyze content displayed on screen. The new hardware is now entering the market with local AI capability and memory capacity as its defining competitive focus.
