Apple introduces new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips

Apple just pulled the sheet off its latest Mac Studio, and the spec sheet reads like someone fed a wish list into a particle accelerator. The compact desktop workstation now ships with M5 Max and M5 Ultra processors, delivering what Apple describes as generational leaps in CPU, GPU, and AI performance over previous silicon. Pre-orders are live now. Shipping begins September 22, 2026, with a starting price of $2,499. What’s under the hood The M5 Max configuration tops out at an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, paired with up to 128GB of unified memory. Memory bandwidth clocks in at 614GB/s. Apple says the M5 Max delivers up to 2.5 times faster CPU performance and 4.9 times faster GPU performance compared to the M1 Max. The M5 Ultra is essentially two M5 Max chips fused together through Apple’s UltraFusion architecture. It brings a 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and up to 512GB of unified memory with 1.2TB/s of bandwidth. The M5 Ultra delivers up to 2.4 times faster CPU and 4.7 times faster GPU performance compared to the M1 Ultra. The 512GB memory option is expected to become available in late October. Display and media capabilities The M5 Max configuration supports up to five external displ...