Apple announced a new Mac Studio desktop computer featuring M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, with pre-orders opening August 25 and general availability set for September 22, according to a company press release.

The M5 Max configuration includes an 18-core CPU, an up-to-40-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory. The M5 Ultra model scales to a 36-core CPU, an up-to-80-core GPU, and up to 512GB of unified memory. Apple claims AI performance of up to 4.3x faster than the M3 Ultra, based on internal testing conducted in July 2026.

Storage performance uses a PCIe Gen 6 SSD architecture, which Apple says delivers up to twice the speed of the previous generation. The new Mac Studio adds Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for the first time, alongside Thunderbolt 5 ports offering up to 120Gb/s of bandwidth. Apple says four Mac Studio systems clustered via Thunderbolt 5 can deliver up to 3x faster AI inference than a single unit.

Johny Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer, said in the release: "With the powerful M5 Max and the incredible capabilities of M5 Ultra, Mac Studio ushers in a new era of desktop computing, delivering huge performance gains for pro workloads and AI inference with frontier-class models."

The Mac Studio with M5 Max starts at $2,499, or $2,299 for education buyers. The M5 Ultra model starts at $5,499, or $5,099 for education. A lease option through Apple Upgrade starts at $48.99 per month for the M5 Max and $110.10 per month for the M5 Ultra on a 36-month term. The 512GB unified memory configuration is expected in late October.

The new Mac Studio ships with macOS 27, which includes updated Apple Intelligence features and an upgraded Siri. Apple states the enclosure uses 100% recycled aluminum and 35% recycled content overall, with manufacturing using 40% renewable energy across its supply chain.