--- title: "Apple unveils M5 Ultra and the first 2-nanometer M6: what is known about the new Mac Studio and Mac mini" description: "Apple unveiled the M5 Ultra and M6 processors for the Mac Studio and Mac mini: the flagship chip combines two M5 Max crystals, while the M6 is built on a 2-nm process. The Mac mini with the M6 is already available for pre-order from $899." date: 2026-08-26T07:18:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/apple-m5-ultra-m6-mac-studio-mac-mini tags: [apple, m5-ultra, m6-chip, mac-studio, mac-mini, ai-processors, 2-nanometer] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Apple unveils M5 Ultra and the first 2-nanometer M6: what is known about the new Mac Studio and Mac mini ![Apple logo on a glass facade: the company unveiled M5 Ultra and the first 2-nanometer M6 chip for new Mac Studio and Mac mini](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/26/apple-m5-ultra-m6-mac-studio-mac-mini/apple-m5-ultra-m6-mac-studio-mac-mini-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Apple announced the M5 Ultra (the company's most powerful chip, two M5 Max crystals, 1.2 TB/s of memory bandwidth) and the M6 (the first 2-nm chip, 12-core CPU, dual 16-core Neural Engine). - Both processors are oriented toward local AI work without the cloud; the Mac mini with the M6 is available for pre-order from $899, with shipments after September 22. Apple has officially announced two new processors — the flagship M5 Ultra and the M6 — which the company has used to equip its refreshed desktop computers, the Mac Studio and Mac mini. Both chips focus on accelerated artificial intelligence workloads, complex graphics, and local processing of large language models. According to the developers, the M5 Ultra is the most powerful processor in the company's history, while the M6 is Apple's first chip built on a 2-nanometer process. Pre-orders for the Mac mini with the M6 are already open, starting at $899, with official shipments beginning after September 22. ### The M5 Ultra flagship: two M5 Max crystals in a single chip The M5 Ultra processor is positioned as the peak of Apple's compute lineup and is intended for professionals working with 3D graphics rendering, visual effects creation, and running modern AI models. The chip's key feature is its architecture: it is the company's first processor created by combining two dual-die M5 Max chips into a single solution. This design achieved a unified memory bandwidth of 1.2 TB/s, which is 50 percent higher than its predecessor, the M3 Ultra. According to Apple, it is precisely this enormous memory bandwidth that unlocks "unprecedented desktop-class power" and allows large models to run without data-transfer bottlenecks. ### M6: the first 2-nanometer chip for the mass market The second announcement — the M6 processor — is aimed at everyday users, developers, and AI enthusiasts. It is built on a 2-nanometer process, which, according to the company, delivers a high level of energy efficiency. The M6 features a 12-core central processing unit (two cores more than the M5), an updated graphics block, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. Thanks to this configuration, the performance of graphical AI computations has increased by nearly 30 percent compared to its predecessor. Apple describes the M6 as a chip delivering a "revolutionary leap" in both performance and energy efficiency. ### Local AI and data privacy Both processors are designed to run and fine-tune large AI models directly on Mac computers, without relying on cloud computing. Apple's tools automatically distribute the workload between the CPU, the graphics block, and the Neural Engine, making it possible to use both Apple's own Foundation Models framework and third-party models. On-device data processing, the company claims, guarantees a high level of privacy and creates a secure environment for working with users' sensitive data and experimenting with new AI tools. ### Contradictory data When the announcement is compared against source materials, one inconsistency in the interpretation of the lineup emerges, and it is worth sorting out. On the one hand, by generation number, the M6 looks "newer" than the M5 Ultra and is built on a more advanced 2-nanometer process — this is supported by sources calling the M6 the "first 2-nm chip." On the other hand, in terms of actual power and positioning, the M5 Ultra is the true flagship: it is assembled from two pairs of M5 Max crystals, has a memory bandwidth of 1.2 TB/s, and is billed as the most powerful processor in Apple's history, whereas the M6 targets the mass market. In other words, the "higher number" does not mean the "higher class" in this pair: the M5 Ultra and the M6 are two different poles of the lineup (a professional flagship and an energy-efficient mass-market chip), not sequential versions of a single device. It is also worth noting separately that the memory bandwidth comparison is made against the M3 Ultra, not the M5 Max, which can be misleading when reading the figures "at a glance." ### Pricing and shipping timelines The new Mac mini with the M6 processor is already available for pre-order, starting at $899; official shipments of the computers will begin after September 22. According to sources, the top-tier Mac Studio configuration with the M5 Ultra megachip is priced at roughly $18,000, confirming the premium positioning of the flagship desktop solution. Thus, Apple is expanding its desktop lineup in two directions at once — maximum compute power for professionals and energy efficiency for a broad range of users — with a focus on local, private artificial intelligence. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Monsters for AI: Apple released the M5 Ultra chip and the first 2-nm M6 processor](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/monstri-shi-apple-vipustila-chip-m5-ultra-1787728082.html) - Подтверждает выпуск M5 Ultra и M6 как первого 2-нанометрового чипа, акцент на ИИ. - [Mac Studio with the Apple M5 Ultra megachip costs $18,000 in the top configuration](https://photar.ru/mac-studio-s-megachipom-apple-m5-ultra-v-topovoj-komplektacii-stoit-18-tysyach/) - Подтверждает топовую конфигурацию Mac Studio с M5 Ultra (~18 000 $). - [Apple unveiled the new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. It is the most powerful Mac in history](https://www.iphones.ru/iNotes/apple-predstavila-novyy-mac-studio-s-chipami-m5-max-i-m5-ultra-eto-samyy-moshchnyy-mac-v-istorii) - Подтверждает Mac Studio с M5 Max и M5 Ultra как самый мощный Mac; согласуется с архитектурой M5 Ultra из двух кристальных пар M5 Max. - [Apple unveiled "the most powerful chips in history" — the M5 Ultra and M6 for the Mac Studio and Mac Mini](https://incrussia.ru/news/apple-predstavila-samye-moshhnye-chipy-v-istorii-m5-ultra-i-m6-dlya-mac-studio-i-mac-mini/) - Подтверждает пару чипов M5 Ultra и M6 для Mac Studio и Mac mini и формулировку «самые мощные чипы в истории». ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How does the M5 Ultra differ from the M6? **A:** The M5 Ultra is a flagship chip for professionals, assembled from two dual-die pairs of M5 Max, with a memory bandwidth of 1.2 TB/s. The M6 is the first 2-nanometer chip for the mass market, featuring a 12-core CPU and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. ### Q: When can I buy the new Mac mini and Mac Studio? **A:** The Mac mini with the M6 is already available for pre-order from $899, with official shipments beginning after September 22. The top-tier Mac Studio configuration with the M5 Ultra is priced at roughly $18,000. ### Q: Can AI models be run without the cloud? **A:** Yes, both chips are designed for local running and fine-tuning of large AI models on Mac; Apple's tools distribute the workload between the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine and support both Apple Foundation Models and third-party models.