Mac Studio 2026

The Mac Studio's 2026 update kept the familiar compact aluminium enclosure and put all the change inside. It came in two versions: the M5 Max at $2,499, with an 18 core processor, a 32 core graphics chip and 36GB of memory, and the M5 Ultra at $5,499, with a 30 core processor, 64 core graphics and 96GB. Both can be configured a long way past those starting points, and memory is where the cost climbs fastest, with the largest 512GB option not arriving until late October.

This was the first Mac Studio to offer two chips from the same generation. Previous models paired a current Max chip with an older Ultra, so the 2025 machine combined the M4 Max with the M3 Ultra. Apple claims AI tasks run up to 4.3 times faster than the previous generation and graphics up to 1.8 times faster, helped by graphics cores that now include dedicated accelerators for AI work and a third generation of ray tracing for realistic lighting.

Storage moved to a faster PCIe 6 design that Apple says doubles the previous speeds, and both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 appeared in a Mac Studio for the first time. Connections stayed generous: four Thunderbolt 5 ports on the back of both models, with the Ultra adding two more on the front where the Max has two USB-C ports, driving up to five external displays on the Max or eight on the Ultra. It was announced on 25 August 2026 and went on sale on 22 September 2026.