Apple has introduced a new Mac Studio powered by its M5 Max and all-new M5 Ultra chips, bringing higher AI performance, faster graphics and expanded memory capacity to its compact professional desktop.
Announced on August 25, 2026, the new Mac Studio is designed for demanding workloads across creative production, software development, AI research and data science. Apple says the system delivers up to 4.3x faster AI performance, 2x faster storage, 1.8x faster graphics and 1.3x faster CPU performance compared with the previous generation.
The M5 Max configuration features an 18-core CPU, a GPU with up to 40 cores and Neural Accelerators integrated into every GPU core. It supports up to 128GB of unified memory, giving professionals additional capacity for complex applications and AI workloads.
The higher-end M5 Ultra takes the specifications further, with up to a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU. Apple says the M5 Ultra delivers up to 1.3x higher multithreaded CPU performance than M3 Ultra and up to 4.3x the peak AI compute performance. Its graphics performance is up to 1.8x faster than the previous generation.
A major change in the new chips is the integration of Neural Accelerators directly into the GPU cores. Apple says this design improves matrix multiplication performance, allowing the Mac Studio to handle AI inference and other computationally intensive workloads locally.
The desktop also supports Thunderbolt 5, allowing multiple Mac Studio systems to be connected into clusters. Apple says a clustered setup can deliver up to 3x faster performance for distributed AI inference compared with a single system.
Apple is positioning the machine for workflows including video production, 3D rendering, software development and AI applications that require substantial computing resources. The system works with macOS 27 and the next generation of Apple Intelligence.
In India, pre-orders for the new Mac Studio began on August 25. The M5 Max model starts at ₹2,79,900, while the M5 Ultra model starts at ₹6,29,900. The new systems will begin reaching customers and Apple Store locations from September 22. A Mac Studio configuration with 512GB of unified memory is scheduled to arrive in late October.
The launch marks Apple’s latest push to bring higher-end AI and professional computing capabilities to the desktop, with the M5 Ultra positioned as the company’s most powerful Apple silicon configuration for Mac Studio.
Source: This article is based on an official press release issued by Apple
Apple introduces new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra – Apple
