Apple Unveils Its New Mac Studio With M5 Max and M5 Ultra Options Aimed for On-Device AI
Apple has announced updated Mac Studio models built around the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. The company has framed much of the announcement around on-device AI performance, but the spec sheet also shows across-the-board improvements that matter for general pro workflows - including up to 2x faster storage, 1.8x faster graphics, and 1.3x faster CPU throughput compared to previous generations, along with higher memory bandwidth.
On the hardware side, the M5 Max configuration ships with an 18-core CPU, a GPU of up to 40 cores with Neural Accelerators built directly into each core, and up to 128GB of unified memory. The M5 Ultra steps that up considerably - up to a 36-core CPU, an 80-core GPU, and a substantial 512GB of unified memory. That memory ceiling is particularly notable for workflows involving large generative AI models, high-resolution video, or complex compositing projects that push against RAM limits.
For filmmakers and editors specifically, there are a few concrete performance claims worth noting. The M5 Max is said to deliver up to 5.3x faster Magic Mask performance in DaVinci Resolve Studio compared to the M1 Max, and up to 4.7x faster scene rendering in Maxon Redshift is cited for the M5 Ultra relative to the M1 Ultra. Text-to-image generation benchmarks are also included, which speaks to the growing overlap between traditional post-production tools and AI-assisted workflows. On the connectivity front, both models now support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thunderbolt 5 - the latter being a first for the Mac Studio line and a practical improvement for high-bandwidth peripherals and storage setups.
Pricing puts the M5 Max model at $2,499 and the M5 Ultra at $5,499 - both consistent with where Apple has historically positioned the Mac Studio relative to the Mac Pro. Whether the AI-focused framing reflects where the creative industry is actually heading or simply where Apple's marketing priorities lie is a fair question, but the raw specs suggest a capable workstation update for professionals regardless of how they weight AI features in their daily work.
