Apple has launched two new chips: the M6 and the M5 Ultra. They power a refreshed Mac mini and Mac Studio lineup.
The M6 is Apple’s first chip built on a 2-nanometer process. It features a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. Apple says it delivers better everyday performance and stronger on-device AI capabilities compared with the previous M5. The new Mac mini with M6 starts at $899.
The M5 Ultra is Apple’s most powerful chip yet. It uses a new UltraFusion design that joins two dual-die M5 Max chips into Apple’s first quad-die processor. It offers up to 36 CPU cores, up to 80 GPU cores, and 1.2 TB/s of unified memory bandwidth. The company says this makes it well suited for heavy AI workloads, complex 3D rendering, and professional video work. The Mac Studio with M5 Ultra starts at $5,499.
Both systems are available for preorder and are expected to ship later in September 2026.
Apple highlighted that the new chips let developers run and fine-tune large AI models locally on a Mac. This focus on local AI performance is expected to appeal to creators, developers, and professionals who need more power without relying only on the cloud.
Reference links
- https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/08/apple-introduces-m6-and-m5-ultra-for-a-big-leap-in-performance-and-ai-compute/
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/25/apple-debuts-its-most-powerful-chip-ever-in-m5-ultra-and-m6/
- https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/25/apple-launches-next-gen-apple-silicon-chips-m6-and-m5-ultra/
- https://www.theverge.com/tech/984118/apple-m6-m5-ultra-chip-mac-mini-studio
