Apple has introduced updated Mac mini and Mac Studio desktop computers powered by its newest silicon generations, the 2nm M6 and the quad die M5 Ultra. The refreshed machines prioritize local artificial intelligence workloads with custom neural accelerators built directly into every graphics core. Rising memory costs across the industry have pushed the starting price of the base Mac mini up to $899.
The M6 Chip Brings 2 Nanometer Silicon to the Mac Mini
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| Powered by the all-new 2 nm M6, Mac min |
The Mac mini receives the first commercial deployment of Apple silicon built on a 2nm fabrication process. Called the M6, this processor houses a 12 core CPU complex made of 2 super cores, 4 performance cores, and 6 efficiency cores. Graphics rely on a 12 core GPU where every single core includes a dedicated neural accelerator. Memory bandwidth increases to 170GB/s, though maximum unified memory remains capped at 32GB. Apple states that this layout delivers up to 1.2x faster multithreaded speeds compared to the M5, alongside 30% higher peak graphics compute for artificial intelligence tasks.
The compact 5 inch chassis stays physically familiar, but the internal focus is on local AI processing. Dual 16 core neural engines operate together to speed up model execution without sending private files to cloud servers. Buyers can configure the desktop with either the standard M6 or an M5 Pro option. Preorders have opened through official channels, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin next month.
M5 Ultra Stacks Quad Die Silicon for Heavy Workstations
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| Mac Studio with M5 Ultra |
For creative professionals needing extreme power, Apple updated the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra. This chip marks the first time the company has fused 4 distinct silicon dies onto a single package. By using updated UltraFusion interconnect technology with over 4.4TB/s of inter die bandwidth, the system operates as 1 unified processor. In its top tier configuration, the M5 Ultra packs a 36 core CPU alongside an 80 core GPU, reaching 1.2TB/s of unified memory bandwidth. Sri Santhanam, vice president of the silicon engineering group at Apple, stated that the design pushes desktop boundaries by letting developers run massive language models entirely on local hardware.
The base Mac Studio ships with a 30 core CPU, a 64 core GPU, and 96GB of memory. Stepping up to the 80 core graphics configuration adds $1300 to the bill, while a 256GB memory upgrade costs an extra $4000. Apple also plans to offer an enormous 512GB memory option later this autumn. That capacity allows researchers to run complex models with hundreds of billions of parameters directly on a desktop. For video editors, the expanded media engine includes 4 dedicated ProRes encode and decode hardware blocks with AV1 decode support.
Prices are rising across the desktop lineup due to ongoing memory chip shortages. That supply pressure caused Apple to raise the entry price of the Mac mini up to $899. This hardware launch also arrives during an executive transition in Cupertino. Chief executive Tim Cook will transition to chairman of the board next month, handing the top role to hardware engineering leader John Ternus.
