Apple has unveiled new Mac Studio models featuring its M5 Max and a newly introduced M5 Ultra chip, ending a mismatched line-up in which the previous generation awkwardly paired an M4 Max with an older but more powerful M3 Ultra. The design remains unchanged from the compact chassis introduced in 2022, but the machines now house Apple's most powerful chips yet, with the firm touting the M5 Ultra as "the most powerful chip ever" and highlighting major gains for AI workloads. With Apple having recently discontinued its Mac Pro desktop line, these Studios now represent the most powerful computers the company makes.

The M5 Max model starts at $2,499 with 36GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage, matching the current M4 Max starting price after a $500 rise in June. The M5 Ultra model starts at $5,499 with 96GB of memory and 1TB of storage, and Apple claims it delivers up to 4.3 times faster AI compute, 1.8 times faster graphics and 1.3 times faster CPU performance than the M3 Ultra, alongside memory bandwidth of up to 1.2TB per second. Both machines also gain Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and will launch on 22 September running macOS 27, though the top-end M5 Ultra configuration with 512GB of memory won't arrive until late October with pricing yet to be confirmed.