Apple’s New Mac mini and Mac Studio Are Now Available: M6, M5 Ultra and AI Features

Apple has officially released its latest Mac mini and Mac Studio, bringing new Apple silicon, faster AI performance and expanded memory options to its desktop Mac lineup.

The new Macs became available on September 22, 2026, through Apple Stores, Apple's online store and the Apple Store app. The lineup includes the Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro and the Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra.

Mac mini Gets a Major Performance Boost

The new Mac mini is designed as a compact desktop for everyday users, developers, students, creative professionals and businesses. Apple says the M6 version delivers up to 4x faster AI performance, up to 2x faster graphics and storage, and up to 40% faster CPU performance compared with the previous-generation Mac mini configuration used for Apple's testing.

The M6 Mac mini features a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, with Neural Accelerators built into every GPU core. It starts with 16GB of unified memory and can be configured with up to 32GB. For users who need more performance, the Mac mini with M5 Pro offers up to an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU and 64GB of unified memory.

Both models also support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and 2.5Gb Ethernet, with a 10Gb Ethernet option available.

Mac Studio Targets Professional Workloads

The new Mac Studio is designed for demanding workloads such as video production, 3D rendering, software development, motion graphics and AI. Apple offers the Mac Studio with either the M5 Max or M5 Ultra chip. The M5 Max configuration features up to an 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU and 128GB of unified memory. The M5 Ultra pushes those specifications considerably further, with up to a 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU and 512GB of unified memory.

Apple says the Mac Studio with M5 Ultra can handle demanding tasks such as real-time processing of uncompressed 8K video, complex visual-effects workloads and large AI models running directly on the device.

Built for On-Device AI

One of the biggest themes behind Apple's latest desktop Macs is on-device artificial intelligence. The new chips combine powerful CPUs and GPUs with Neural Engines and Neural Accelerators. Apple is positioning the machines for AI workflows that can run locally rather than relying entirely on cloud computing.

The Mac Studio can also be configured with enough memory for extremely large AI models. Apple says multiple Mac Studio systems can be connected using Thunderbolt 5, allowing professionals to build clustered systems for demanding AI workloads.

Reuters reports that Apple is also pitching the new Macs to businesses as machines capable of handling AI workloads locally, potentially reducing reliance on usage-based cloud AI services.

Thunderbolt 5 and Multiple Displays

Connectivity has also received an upgrade. The new Mac Studio includes Thunderbolt 5, with transfer speeds of up to 120Gb/s. This allows users to connect high-speed external storage, expansion systems and other professional accessories.

Apple says Mac Studio can support up to eight displays, including up to four Studio Display XDR monitors running at 5K resolution and 120Hz.

macOS 27 and Apple Intelligence

The new desktops are designed to work with macOS 27 and Apple's latest Apple Intelligence features, including the company's updated Siri AI experience.

That combination makes the new Mac mini and Mac Studio particularly relevant for users interested in AI-assisted productivity, coding, creative workflows and local AI processing.