Ahead of its annual fall event, Apple has refreshed the Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro processors.
With the upgrade, Apple retains the size of the M4 Mac mini but packs a new M6 processor to deliver four times better AI performance, two times faster storage and graphics, and 40% better CPU performance, the company says.
Preorders begin today, with shipping expected to start on Sept. 22. The M6 model starts at $899, while the M5 Pro model starts at $1,699, which is $100 more than their predecessors. However, the Mac mini jumps from a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core neural engine to a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine.
Launched in 2024, the M4 model has surged in popularity as AI enthusiasts started using the device to run AI agents locally. So, it's unsurprising that Apple’s press release puts considerable emphasis on how the M6 chip improves the Mac mini’s AI performance.
The M6 is Apple’s first 2nm chip, which turns the Mac mini into a “powerhouse for all things AI,” Apple says. In a first for a Mac mini, each CPU core on the M6 also packs a Neural Accelerator, which makes everything feel extra snappy and responsive, the company says. Compared with the M4, LLM prompt processing is up to 4.8 times faster, spreadsheet calculations are 2.3x faster, and gaming is 2x faster with ray tracing in Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition.
Apple promises similar performance gains for the M5 Pro Mac mini over the last-generation M4 Pro Mac mini. First introduced with the MacBook Pro earlier this year, the M5 Pro processor delivers up to 4x faster prompt processing, up to 1.4x faster rendering performance with ray tracing in Blender, and up to 1.5x faster image processing in Affinity.
Both the M6 and M5 Pro Mac minis support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet, which can be upgraded to 10Gb. On the front of the tiny computer, you get two USB-C ports that support USB 3 and a headphone jack. On the back of the M6, you get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port. On the back of the M5 Pro, you get the same setup but with upgraded Thunderbolt 5 ports.
The M6 variant begins with 16GB unified memory, expandable up to 32GB. It has a memory bandwidth of 170GB/s, up from the 120GB/s on the M4. The M5 Pro variant, on the other hand, begins with 24GB of unified memory but can be upgraded to 64GB of unified memory with 307GB/s of memory bandwidth.
All variants will support macOS 27, as well as genlock synchronization between a display and an iPhone 17 Pro.
Also today, Apple refreshed its Mac Studio with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.