Apple released the Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chips
Apple announced the new generation of Mac mini, unveiling two models at once – with new chips M6 and M5 Pro. The computer retained its compact chassis and dimensions, but with the new chips it achieved higher performance. In addition, the models received faster connection interfaces and storage drives.
Mac mini M6
The base model of the Mac mini has received a completely new M6 chip for the first time instead of M4. This is Apple’s first 2-nm processor with a 12-core architecture and the company’s first combination of three types of compute cores: two super-cores, four high-performance cores, and six energy-efficient cores.
Super-cores are optimized for maximum performance in single-threaded tasks, performance cores for multi-threaded workloads, and efficiency cores handle less demanding background processes. According to Apple, this architecture delivers up to 40% higher multi-threaded performance compared to the M4.
The M6 also received a neural accelerator in the base configuration of the Mac mini. Apple claims a fourfold increase in artificial intelligence task performance and a twofold increase in graphics performance compared to M4.
Separately, the company highlights a new 16-core neural processor, which, according to Apple, operates up to two times faster than the previous generation’s solution. The M6 itself, according to the manufacturer, delivers the highest single-thread performance in the world.
Mac mini M5 Pro
A more powerful version of the new Mac mini is equipped with the M5 Pro chip, previously introduced in this year’s MacBook Pro. The processor received an 18-core CPU and a 20-core GPU. The graphics subsystem includes neural accelerators in each core, an enhanced shader core, and third-generation ray tracing. Mac mini with M5 Pro supports up to 64 GB of unified memory with a bandwidth of 307 GB/s.
In its own tests, the new Mac mini with M5 Pro showed up to 8.5 times higher processing speed LLM in LM Studio compared to the Mac mini on M2 Pro. The model is primarily designed for professional tasks related to development, artificial intelligence, graphics processing, and video.
Interfaces and Storage
Both versions of the Mac mini received twice as high storage speed compared to the previous generation. For professional scenarios, Genlock support via USB-C is provided. The technology is designed for precise synchronization of displays and professional video equipment.
The Mac mini with M5 Pro is equipped with three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, Ethernet, two USB-C ports supporting USB 3, as well as a headphone jack on the rear panel. One of the notable updates is a higher Ethernet speed, enabling faster data transfer over the network.
Release dates and price
Pre-orders for the new Mac mini are now open. Computers will go on sale on September 22. In the US, the Mac mini with the M6 chip starts at $899, while the version with the M5 Pro will cost a minimum of $1699.
