Apple has refreshed the Mac Studio with new M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, unifying the lineup under one chip generation after last year's awkward M4 Max/M3 Ultra split. Pricing starts at $2,499 for the M5 Max model and $5,499 for the M5 Ultra, with both shipping September 22, 2026.
Apple has refreshed the Mac Studio lineup, moving both configurations onto the same chip generation for the first time in a while. According to The Verge, this corrects last year's confusing split between an M4 Max model and an M3 Ultra model — the older-numbered M3 Ultra was actually the more powerful chip, and there was never an M4 Ultra. Now buyers choose between an M5 Max model and a new M5 Ultra model, both built on the same silicon generation.
The M5 Max configuration comes with an 18-core CPU (6 super cores plus 12 performance cores) and a GPU with up to 40 cores, each featuring a built-in Neural Accelerator, according to Digital Trends. Memory tops out at 128GB with 614GB/s of bandwidth. The M5 Ultra steps up to a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU, with memory scaling up to 512GB and bandwidth reaching 1.2TB/s — a 50% increase over the previous generation. Apple built the M5 Ultra by fusing two dual-die M5 Max chips into a quad-die design using its next-gen UltraFusion connection, and the company is marketing it as its most powerful chip yet, claiming up to 4.3x faster AI compute than the outgoing M3 Ultra, along with up to 1.8x faster graphics and 1.3x faster CPU performance.
Beyond raw chip performance, the new Studios add Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support through Apple's own N1 chip, along with a PCIe Gen 6 SSD that doubles storage speed versus the prior generation. Digital Trends also notes that Thunderbolt 5 combined with RDMA lets multiple Mac Studios pool memory together, with Apple claiming four clustered units can handle AI inference up to three times faster than a single machine — supported by a new Core AI framework alongside the existing MLX toolset.
Pricing has climbed alongside the performance gains. The $2,499 starting price for the M5 Max model matches the M4 Max model's price after a $500 hike earlier this year, while the $5,499 M5 Ultra starting price is $200 higher than the outgoing M3 Ultra — though that model itself launched at a lower $3,999 last year. Both standard configurations ship September 22, 2026, alongside new Mac Minis, while the top-end 512GB M5 Ultra configuration arrives in late October with pricing still unannounced.
What We Know
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| M5 Max CPU/GPU | 18-core CPU (6 super cores + 12 performance cores), up to 40-core GPU with Neural Accelerators |
| M5 Max memory | Up to 128GB unified memory, 614GB/s bandwidth |
| M5 Ultra CPU/GPU | Up to 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU |
| M5 Ultra memory | Up to 512GB unified memory, 1.2TB/s bandwidth |
| Starting prices | $2,499 (M5 Max, 36GB/512GB) / $5,499 (M5 Ultra, 96GB/1TB) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via Apple's N1 chip; Thunderbolt 5 with RDMA for clustering up to four units |
| Storage | PCIe Gen 6 SSD, twice the speed of the previous generation |
| Release date | September 22, 2026 (512GB M5 Ultra config arrives late October, pricing TBD) |
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the new Mac Studio with M5 Ultra release?
The M5 Max and standard M5 Ultra configurations of the Mac Studio ship September 22, 2026. The top 512GB memory M5 Ultra configuration arrives later, in late October, with pricing not yet announced.
How much does the Mac Studio with M5 Ultra cost?
The M5 Ultra model starts at $5,499 with 96GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage. The M5 Max model starts at $2,499 with 36GB of memory and 512GB of storage.
What's new in the M5 Ultra chip compared to the M3 Ultra?
Apple says the M5 Ultra delivers up to 4.3x faster AI compute, 1.8x faster graphics, and 1.3x faster CPU performance than the M3 Ultra, along with memory bandwidth up to 1.2TB/s, a 50% increase over the previous generation.
Can you connect multiple Mac Studios together?
Yes. Thunderbolt 5 combined with RDMA lets multiple Mac Studio units pool memory together, and Apple claims four clustered systems can handle AI inference up to three times faster than a single Mac Studio.
