Mac Studio and Mac Mini 2026 models impress and disappoint respectively

Just as it was rumored online less than a day ago, Apple chose to announce its most powerful computer yet – as well as a whole new chip – via press releases. The new Mac Studio is built around either the M5 Max processor or the all-new M5 Ultra and promises the highest performance ever delivered by an Apple desktop system in all workloads (obviously including AI-focused ones). The latest Mac Studio sports the same minimalistic chassis and the same number of ports its predecessor did, but several “under-the-hood” differences could make this model one of the most capable and versatile consumer computers ever for any professional application.

The M5 Max chip does not need any introductions: it is pretty much the same one found in the most powerful current MacBook Pro models, sporting an 18-core CPU and a 32- or 40-core GPU along with 36GB of unified memory (configurable up to 256GB). The M5 Ultra chip, though, is on another level, based on a 30- or 36-core CPU and a 64- or 80-core GPU with either 96GB or 256GB of unified memory (a 512GB option will be available in late October). The new models offer a minimum of 512GB and 1TB of storage respectively, configurable to 8 TB or even 16TB in the case of the latter, for those that truly need it (that’s a $7500 upgrade).

Four things stand out in the M5 Ultra version of the new Mac Studio. One: its unified memory’s bandwidth comes at 1.2TB/s, the fastest ever seen on a desktop Apple computer. Two: it comes with up to six Thunderbolt 5 ports instead of the four offered by the M5 Max version. Three: its Neural Engine, handy for AI workloads, sports twice the cores of its M5 Max counterpart (32 instead of 16). Four: its internal SSD is somehow based on PCIe 6.0 – yes, six, not five – which would easily make it the fastest kind of storage out there bar none, even if it works over two lanes (32GB/s), let alone four (64GB/s).

Both the M5 Max Mac Studio and the M5 Ultra Studio cost more than their M3 Ultra-based predecessor, but these are strictly professional tools where a $200 difference is more or less acceptable (especially given the current RAM/SSD situation). They do come with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 wireless connectivity too, which may come in handy in certain use cases (10Gb Ethernet is still offered as standard).

Mac Mini 2026 models are not easy to recommend anymore

Of more consumer interest are the two new Mac Mini models Apple announced, since they are designed for everyday computing and cost way, way less. In an unexpected turn of events, the company will be offering an M5 Pro-based version – matching the more affordable latest MacBook Pro models – as well as an M6-based version. Yes, there’s officially a new M-series chip now, even if rumor has it that Apple will only be using it in a few products before transitioning to the M7 series for a full Pro/Max/Ultra family of chips in 2027 and 2028.

The M6 Mac Mini brings a few notable things to the table compared to the M4-based one: it comes with two additional CPU and GPU cores, its unified memory’s bandwidth is notably higher, its AI-focused Neural Engine sports twice the number of cores and the internal storage it works with is twice as fast. Apple claims it’s around 20% more performant than its predecessor in everyday tasks and almost four times faster in AI-related tasks, which is not surprising given the system architecture and manufacturing improvements involved. Ethernet 2.5G connectivity now comes as standard, as does Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity on the wireless front.

This would have been an absolutely amazing little machine for anyone looking for a capable home computer, save for the fact that Apple still sells this with 256GB of storage as standard – which is simply not enough these days. This model, equipped with 16GB of memory, now costs $899, which is considerably higher than the $599 or $699 of old for the base Mac Mini configuration. Taking this to a mere 512GB of storage pushes its cost to $1100, which is not what anyone would call “a great deal” for casual PC use (even in this economy).

The M5 Pro-based Mac Mini – which Apple deems to be a system capable of semi-professional or even professional work depending on certain requirements – is an even worse deal, starting from $1699 for 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Considering that all these models still need a keyboard, mouse and monitor, it would make sense for most people to just get a MacBook Air or even a basic MacBook Pro at this point.

If anything, it’s disheartening news like these that make the consequences of RAMaggedon felt the most: what used to be the ideal point of entry for mainstream computing, the base Mac Mini, is now much harder to justify or recommend, despite macOS currently being a better operating system than Windows overall. Modern, acceptably fast Mini PCs with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage based on Windows 11 can be found for much less than $1100 and – while macOS is a much more private, stable and performant operating system – for people in need of a basic PC more than $1000 will always be a big ask.

Here’s hope that, against all odds, this unacceptable RAM/SSD situation is improved in Q1/Q2 of 2027 – as some are apparently expecting based on recent indications – because, if things don’t change for the better in the foreseeable future, it won’t be easy for personal computing as a whole to come all the way back in a meaningful way. The new Mac Mini and Mac Studio models are available to pre-order today and will become available for purchase on September 22nd.