Apple on Tuesday announced new Mac mini and Mac Studio models featuring updated chips and improvements designed for artificial intelligence applications. The announcement reflects the company's strategic focus on desktop computers as a platform for AI development and a showcase for its chip capabilities.
The Mac mini now comes in two configurations. The entry-level model features the new M6 chip, Apple's first processor built on 2-nanometer process technology. The M6 includes a 12-core CPU—the first 12-core CPU in Apple's lineup—comprising two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores. The chip also features a 12-core GPU and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine for on-device AI workloads, with a Neural Accelerator integrated into each GPU core. Apple says the M6 offers the world's fastest single-threaded performance and up to 1.2x faster multithreaded performance compared to the M5. The M6 Mac mini starts at $899 with 16GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage.
The higher-end Mac mini configuration uses the M5 Pro chip, which is also found in this year's MacBook Pro. This model can reach 18 CPU cores and supports up to 64GB of unified memory. The M5 Pro Mac mini starts at $1,699 with 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage. Both models feature Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity, with the M5 Pro model including Thunderbolt 5 ports. Storage in all new Mac mini models is now twice as fast as previous generations. Preorders begin today, with shipments scheduled for September 22.
The Mac Studio lineup has been updated with the M5 Max and a new M5 Ultra chip. The M5 Ultra is described by Apple as its "most powerful chip ever," designed for tasks including 3D rendering and running frontier AI models. The new Mac Studio with the M5 Max starts at $2,499 with 36GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage, matching the current starting price of the M4 Max model. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio starts at $5,499 with 96GB of memory and 1TB of storage. This represents a $200 increase from the starting price of the outgoing M3 Ultra model, though the M3 Ultra originally launched at a lower price point.
The physical design of both Mac mini and Mac Studio remains unchanged from previous generations. The Mac mini maintains its ultracompact form factor, while the Mac Studio continues to use the small chassis introduced in 2022, including USB-A ports on the rear.
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