Apple has introduced its latest Mac Studio models, now powered by the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, bringing massive upgrades in memory, graphics, and processing power. The refreshed lineup supports up to 512GB of unified memory and is available for pre-order now, with deliveries beginning September 22 for most configurations and late October for the top-end M5 Ultra model.
M5 Max Model: Efficiency Meets Big Gains
The M5 Max builds on the M4 Max, carrying over its entry and maximum memory levels—36GB at the base and up to 128GB at the high end. The CPU now features an 18-core setup, divided into six super cores and twelve performance cores. GPU options go up to 40 cores, each core also including new Neural Accelerators aimed at accelerating AI workloads. Apple claims GPU performance is up to 50% faster than the previous generation, and memory bandwidth has climbed to 614GB/s, up from 546GB/s.
In real-world tests, the M5 Max Mac Studio delivers noticeable improvements: prompt processing in large language model (LLM) tasks via LM Studio is up to 10.7× faster compared to the M1 Max model and 3.9× faster than last year’s M4 Max. Similar leaps are seen in text-to-image work, video editing using Blackmagic’s Resolve, and scientific activities like DNA basecalling.
M5 Ultra Model: Peak Performance for Demanding Workflows
The M5 Ultra is the most ambitious model yet. It doubles down on performance-heavy specs, with a 36-core CPU made up of twelve super cores and 24 performance cores, and up to an 80-core GPU—again with Neural Accelerators built in. Multithreaded workloads are said to run up to 1.3× faster than on the prior M3 Ultra.
Memory remains consistent with the previous generation: 96GB at the base, with an option to scale up to 512GB. Memory bandwidth is clocked up to 1.2TB/s. A highlight for video professionals: the M5 Ultra doubles the media engine’s encode and decode blocks compared to M5 Max, allowing up to 33 simultaneous 8K ProRes video streams. Benchmark numbers show huge jumps in CopyCat ML training in Foundry Nuke, LLM prompt processing, text-to-image rendering, and 3D scene rendering via Redshift, when stacked against both M1 Ultra and M3 Ultra systems.
Other Upgrades & Pricing Details
Beyond raw compute, the new Mac Studio models gain support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 through Apple’s N1 networking chip. Display support climbs to eight external displays or four Studio Display XDRs at 5K/120Hz. Storage performance doubles thanks to PCIe Gen 6 support, and Thunderbolt 5 ports offer up to 120Gb/s bandwidth. Genlock over USB-C is included for synchronized workflows with cameras and displays.
Prices vary by chip and configuration: the M5 Max starts at $2,499 with 512GB of storage—a carryover from the M4 Max’s launch pricing. The M5 Ultra starts at $5,499 with 1TB of storage, up $200 over its predecessor. Educational discounts are available ($2,299 for the Max, $5,099 for the Ultra).
These Mac Studio models are now open for preorder. Most variants will reach customers beginning September 22 — but the M5 Ultra model with 512GB of memory won’t be available until late October.
Analytical take: The new Mac Studio generation underscores Apple’s ongoing push to make high-end desktop machines more capable of handling AI, video, and scientific workflows. With Neural Accelerators built into every GPU core and major boosts in memory bandwidth and display capabilities, Apple is positioning itself aggressively in the pro content creation and compute markets. Key to watch will be how these machines perform under sustained load—and whether the higher-memory Ultra models justify their premium and delayed availability.
