Apple has announced a new generation of compact Mac mini desktop computers, including two models: one with a new base M6 chip and a second with the more powerful M5 Pro. Compared to the 2024 M4 and M4 Pro models, these computers feature more powerful processors, faster storage, improved networking capabilities, and support for new wireless standards.
Image source: apple.com
Apple’s Mac mini equipped with the M6 chip starts at $899, and the model equipped with the M5 Pro starts at $1,699. As a result, both versions will initially cost $300 more than their predecessors: the Mac mini with the M4 will launch at $599, and the M4 Pro-equipped version will launch at $1,399. The new entry-level Mac mini with the M6 comes with 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD; the base Mac mini with the M5 Pro offers 24GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. Apple says the Mac mini with M6 is twice as fast as its predecessor. Both computers also receive 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet instead of the previous Gigabit, and there’s also the option of 10GbE. The Apple N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, is responsible for the wireless interface.
The younger Mac mini M6 has a 12-core CPU and graphics processor, while the M4 has 10 CPU and GPU cores. The throughput of unified memory is increased from 120GB/s to 170GB/s, and the maximum capacity is 32GB. M6 is Apple’s first chip produced using the 2nm process. According to the company, CPU performance is improved by up to 40% compared to the M4, and the new graphics subsystem is equipped with neural accelerators on each core. In Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, the new Mac mini’s ray tracing gaming performance is 2x faster than the M4 model.
The older Mac mini was equipped with an M5 Pro chip, with up to 18 cores for the CPU and 20 cores for the GPU. The graphics core is also equipped with neural accelerators. The unified memory bandwidth reaches 307GB/s, and the maximum capacity is 64GB. According to Apple, the performance gains of the M4 Pro over the Mac mini can be huge depending on the task: for example, processing large language model queries in LM Studio is 4x faster, ray tracing rendering in Blender is 1.4x faster, and image processing in Affinity is 1.5x faster.
The connector set remains essentially unchanged. Both Mac minis have two USB Type-C ports that support USB 3 and a headphone jack on the front. On the back are HDMI, Ethernet, and three Thunderbolt ports: Thunderbolt 4 on the M6 version and Thunderbolt 5 on the M5 Pro model. The latter also allows you to combine multiple Mac minis to run large AI models locally. In addition, Genlock synchronization via USB Type-C is also supported.
The new Mac mini will run macOS 27 Golden Gate and feature next-generation Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. Apple is taking pre-orders today, with deliveries and sales starting on September 22nd. macOS 27 itself is still in public beta and will be available as a free update this fall.
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