Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Apple Unveils Mac Studio With M5 Max, M5 Ultra Chips
Apple introduced a powerful desktop computer called the Mac Studio.
It can use either an M5 Max or an M5 Ultra chip.
These chips are designed for people who edit video, create 3D graphics, write software or work with artificial intelligence.
Apple says the new computer is much faster for some AI, graphics and CPU tasks.
The M5 Max can have up to 128GB of shared memory.
The M5 Ultra can have up to 512GB, which can help run very large AI models directly on the computer.
Several Mac Studio computers can also be connected to work together on AI tasks.
One report gives different numbers for the M5 Ultra’s maximum GPU cores, so that specification is unclear.
Apple announced a new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips for demanding professional workloads.
Apple claims up to 4.3x faster AI performance, 1.8x faster graphics and 1.3x faster CPU performance.
The M5 Max model offers up to an 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128GB of memory and 8TB of storage.
The M5 Ultra model supports up to a 36-core CPU and 512GB of unified memory for running large AI models on-device.
Reports differ on the M5 Ultra’s GPU specification, citing either 80 cores or 32 GPU cores; Thunderbolt 5 supports clustered systems for distributed AI inference.
- Who
- Apple announced the new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.
- What
- A high-end desktop computer with upgraded AI, graphics, processing, memory and connectivity capabilities.
- When
- Apple announced it on Tuesday; Indian sales were reported to begin on 22 September, though the year was not specified.
- Where
- The reports give pricing for the United States and India; they do not specify where the announcement took place.
- Why
- The Mac Studio is intended for creatives, developers, AI researchers, data scientists and other professionals handling demanding workloads.
Apple’s Performance Claims
Reported Qualifications
Speed improvements
Apple’s Performance Claims
Apple claims major gains, including up to 4.3x faster AI performance, 1.8x faster graphics and 1.3x faster CPU performance compared with earlier systems.
Reported Qualifications
The performance figures are Apple’s own test results, and one report says actual gains will vary significantly by application and workload.
M5 Ultra graphics specification
Apple’s Performance Claims
The reports describe the M5 Ultra as scaling to an 80-core GPU.
Reported Qualifications
A separate passage in one report lists the M5 Ultra as having up to 32 GPU cores and 32 Neural Engine cores, creating an unresolved specification discrepancy.
Local AI use
Apple’s Performance Claims
Apple says the M5 Ultra’s 512GB memory can allow developers to run AI models with hundreds of billions of parameters directly on the computer.
Reported Qualifications
The reports present this as a capability aimed at reducing reliance on cloud resources, not as a guarantee that every such model or workload will run equally well.
- Processors
- M5 Max and the all-new M5 Ultra
- M5 Max limits
- Up to 18 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores, 128GB unified memory and 8TB storage
- M5 Ultra limits
- Up to 36 CPU cores and 512GB unified memory
- Apple performance claims
- Up to 4.3x faster AI, 1.8x faster graphics, 1.3x faster CPU and 2x faster storage
- Connectivity
- Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
- US pricing
- The Mac Studio starts at $2,499
- India pricing and availability
- Prices start at Rs. 279,900 for M5 Max and Rs. 629,900 for M5 Ultra; pre-orders were reported open, with sales beginning 22 September
- Distributed AI
- Apple says clustered Mac Studio systems can provide up to three times faster distributed AI inference than one system
