Apple unveils new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chips

Apple announced a new Mac mini featuring its M6 and M5 Pro chips, with pre-orders opening August 25 and units available starting September 22. The M6 model starts at $899, while the M5 Pro model starts at $1,699.

According to Apple, the M6 chip includes a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, delivering up to 40 percent faster CPU performance, up to 4x faster AI performance, and up to 2x faster storage and graphics compared to the previous Mac mini with M4. The M6 model supports up to 32GB of unified memory with up to 170GB/s of memory bandwidth.

The M5 Pro configuration features up to an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU, with up to 64GB of unified memory and 307GB/s of memory bandwidth. Apple claims it delivers up to 8.5x faster LLM prompt processing in LM Studio compared to Mac mini with M2 Pro, based on testing conducted by Apple in July 2026.

Both models include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet, with a 10Gb Ethernet option available. The M6 model includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the M5 Pro includes three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Apple says Thunderbolt 5 allows multiple Mac mini units to be clustered to run large AI models on device.

"Mac mini has always been our most versatile Mac," said Johny Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer. "With a more powerful CPU and graphics, Neural Accelerators in the GPU, and higher memory bandwidth, Mac mini with M6 delivers a whole new level of AI performance."

The new Mac mini ships with macOS 27, which includes Apple Intelligence features and Siri AI, currently available in beta. Siri AI support will initially be limited to English, with additional languages to follow.

Apple stated the device is made with 50 percent recycled material overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure. Education pricing is set at $799 for the M6 model and $1,599 for the M5 Pro model.

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