Apple updates Mac mini and Mac Studio with M6 and M5 Ultra chips

In short: Apple announced updated Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops with new chips that are aimed at running more AI tasks directly on the computer.

What happened

Apple introduced new versions of the Mac mini and Mac Studio, plus two chips called the M6 and the M5 Ultra. Apple framed the update around “local AI inference,” which means running an AI model on your own computer instead of sending requests to an online service (like doing the work in your kitchen instead of ordering takeout).

The Mac mini starts at $899 with an M6 chip and 16GB of memory. Apple says the M6 has a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU, and it supports up to 32GB of memory. Apple also says storage can be up to twice as fast, and the machines include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

The Mac Studio targets people who need more power. It starts at $2,499 with an M5 Max, and $5,499 with an M5 Ultra. Apple says high-end configurations can go up to 512GB of unified memory, which is the Mac’s shared pool of memory that both the main processor and graphics processor can use (like one big workbench instead of separate tables).

Apple said preorders start today. Shipping begins September 22. Apple also said the computers will ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Why it matters

Some developers have been linking multiple Macs together using Thunderbolt 5, a very fast cable connection, to run larger AI models locally. This can reduce reliance on paid cloud AI services, and it can keep sensitive data on your own machine.

Source: Arstechnica