Apple Unveils Mac Mini With M6, M5 Pro Chips As AI Performance Surges

By Mintesinot Nigussie  |  August 26, 2026

Apple has introduced new Mac mini models featuring its M6 and M5 Pro chips, with the company targeting higher-performance artificial intelligence, professional computing and always-on workloads from its compact desktop platform.

The M6-powered Mac mini delivers up to four times faster AI performance and twice the graphics performance of the previous M4 model, while CPU performance is up 40 percent, according to Apple. The company also said storage performance is twice as fast.

The M6 model comes with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, each with two more cores than the previous generation. Its GPU includes Neural Accelerators in every core, while a new dual 16-core Neural Engine delivers up to twice the performance of its predecessor.

The M6 Mac mini starts at 899 US dollars in the US, while the M5 Pro model starts at 1,699 US dollars.

Apple has positioned the M5 Pro version at the higher end of the range. It can be configured with an 18-core CPU, a 20-core GPU and up to 64GB of unified memory, with memory bandwidth reaching 307GB per second. The configuration is aimed at workloads including video rendering, app development, scientific simulations, 3D design and game development.

The company said Neural Accelerators in the M5 Pro GPU provide higher AI computing performance, allowing users to run larger local AI models and undertake tasks such as photo and video upscaling and large diffusion models.

"Mac mini has always been our most versatile Mac," Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, said. "Today, we’re taking this versatility even further."

The new computers add Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and 2.5Gb Ethernet, with 10Gb Ethernet available as an option. The M6 model has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the M5 Pro includes three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Apple said multiple Mac mini systems can be clustered through Thunderbolt 5 to run large AI models on-device.

The devices will also support genlock through USB-C, allowing precise synchronisation between displays and cameras, including the iPhone 17 Pro.

The new Mac mini will run macOS 27, which introduces Apple’s next-generation Apple Intelligence features and Siri AI. Apple said Siri AI can use personal context across messages, emails and photos, answer questions and carry out tasks across applications.

The company said the computer contains 50 percent recycled material overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminium in its enclosure and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in its magnets. Electricity used to manufacture the Mac mini is sourced from renewable energy across its supply chain.

Pre-orders opened on August 25 in 30 countries and regions, including the US, with deliveries and retail availability beginning September 22.

Source: FSX Business News