In an uncharacteristic August launch, Apple has updated the Mac mini, retaining the same design, adding the M6 and M5 Pro processors, and a new record-high starting price.
The release comes almost two years after the then-redesigned M4 Mac mini was released. There’s nothing different externally, with the major change being the M6 processor.
And, it comes after wait times were as long as two months on the morning of August 25 for the M4 version of the hardware. It will almost certainly sell out rapidly upon release, and we advise that if you want one, you order one when the preorder period starts.
“Today, we’re debuting the next giant leap in performance and AI compute for Apple silicon with the incredibly advanced M6 and the most powerful M-series chip yet, M5 Ultra,” said Sri Santhanam, Apple’s vice president of Silicon Engineering Group. “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. And for the ultimate desktop performance and the ability to run massive AI models, M5 Ultra features a massive GPU, now with Neural Accelerators, and more unified memory bandwidth, pushing the boundaries of what a desktop can do.”
M6 has a 12-core CPU with two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores. Apple says the combo delivers up to 1.2x faster multithreaded performance as compared to M5, and up to 2.4x faster than M1.
Also, the M6 features a 12-core GPU each with an accompanying Neural Accelerator. Apple also says that this delivers a nearly 30 percent increase in peak GPU compute for AI compared to M5, and more than eight times faster compared to M1.
“Mac mini has always been our most versatile Mac. Whether it’s being used as a home computer, powering a professional studio, or as an always-on agentic device, it’s the little Mac that can do it all,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer. “Today, we’re taking this versatility even further. With a more powerful CPU and graphics, Neural Accelerators in the GPU, and higher memory bandwidth, Mac mini with M6 delivers a whole new level of AI performance. And with up to an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU, Mac mini with M5 Pro is an ultracompact powerhouse for complex pro workflows. We can’t wait to see all the incredible ways people will use it next.”
The new M6 chip supports up to 32GB of unified memory. That RAM also provides up to 170GB/s of unified memory bandwidth.
Both Mac mini M5 and Mac mini M5 Pro models include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, as well as upgraded 2.5Gb Ethernet. A 10Gb option is available at an extra cost.
Thunderbolt 5 is not universal. On the back, there are three Thunderbolt 4 ports on Mac mini with M6. The Mac mini with M5 Pro has and three Thunderbolt 5 ports, along with HDMI and Ethernet.
Customers can pre-order the new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro starting August 25. Neither model ships until September 22.
Mac mini with M6 starts at $899. Mac mini with M5 Pro starts at $1,699. A $100 discount is available on both models for US military members, and in the education store. The $899 price is the Mac mini’s highest starting price yet.
Source: www.appleinsider.com
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