Apple debuts new chips, updates Mac mini and Mac Studio

Investing.com -- Apple Inc. announced updated Mac mini and Mac Studio desktop computers on Tuesday, featuring new processors and higher starting prices.

The Mac mini will start at $899 and run on Apple's new M6 chip or an M5 Pro processor. The Mac Studio will be available with either the M5 Max chip starting at $2,499 or the new M5 Ultra chip starting at $5,499.

Both computers can be preordered starting Tuesday and will arrive in stores on Sept. 22. The machines will ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate, which will be released to other Mac users this fall.

The M6 chip is Apple's first processor built on a 2-nanometer process. It includes a 12-core CPU and a 12-core GPU with a Dual 16-core Neural Engine. The chip supports up to 32 gigabytes of unified memory and delivers up to 170 gigabytes per second of memory bandwidth, a 10 percent increase over the M5 chip.

"Built using the cutting-edge 2 nm process, M6 combines a new CPU complex, two additional CPU and GPU cores, a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, and more unified memory bandwidth to power through workloads with amazing energy efficiency," said Sri Santhanam, Apple's vice president of Silicon Engineering Group.

The Mac mini with the M6 chip includes 16 gigabytes of memory as standard. The M5 Pro model can be configured with up to 64 gigabytes of memory.

The Mac Studio offers more customization options for professional users. The M5 Ultra model features up to a 36-core CPU and an 80-core GPU with a maximum of 512 gigabytes of unified memory. A fully configured Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra chip can cost up to $18,299.

The M5 Ultra uses a quad-die architecture that connects two dual-die M5 Max chips through UltraFusion technology. The chip delivers 1.2 terabytes per second of unified memory bandwidth, 50 percent more than the M3 Ultra chip.

Both new computers include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity. The Mac mini keeps the compact design that was introduced with the M4 and M4 Pro models in 2024.

The Mac mini's starting price has increased from its original $599 launch price. In May, Apple removed the $599 base configuration, raising the entry price to $799, before the latest increase to $899. The price changes followed an industrywide memory chip shortage linked to artificial intelligence demand.

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