CNBC reported that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced new Mac Mini and Mac Studio models with updated chips built for AI workloads.
The Mac Mini now offers Apple's new M6 chip, its first built on a 2-nanometer process, or an M5 Pro, and starts at $899, up from $799 for the prior model. Apple says the M6 delivers 4 times faster AI performance and 2 times faster graphics than the M4 model it replaces, while the M5 Pro can process large language model prompts up to 8.5 times faster than the M2 Pro version. The Mac Studio now starts at $2,499 with the M5 Max chip or $5,499 with the new M5 Ultra, up from $5,299 for the prior Ultra model, and multiple M5 Ultra units can be linked together to pool memory for running large AI models. "With these frameworks and new chips, developers can run and fine-tune large AI models locally on their Mac," Apple said. Preorders opened Tuesday, with units shipping September 22.
The performance gains here are substantial, not incremental. The M6 chip delivers 4 times faster AI performance and is Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s first chip built on a 2-nanometer process. The M5 Pro configuration processes large language model prompts 8.5 times faster than the model it replaces, Apple's own specifications show, giving Apple genuine technical claims to back its AI-focused marketing.
Apple is showing pricing power even as component costs rise industry-wide. Despite memory and silicon shortages pushing costs higher across the industry, Apple raised prices on both product lines rather than absorbing the cost pressure itself. It is a sign the company believes demand can bear higher price points.
These desktops are becoming more strategically important to Apple than their revenue alone suggests. It shows how Mac desktops have become a foothold in the AI development world for Apple. It is a showcase for its custom silicon that can influence which platform developers build AI tools on and an ecosystem benefit that extends beyond the sale of any individual machine.
#faster #chip #ultra
The Mac Mini now offers Apple's new M6 chip, its first built on a 2-nanometer process, or an M5 Pro, and starts at $899, up from $799 for the prior model. Apple says the M6 delivers 4 times faster AI performance and 2 times faster graphics than the M4 model it replaces, while the M5 Pro can process large language model prompts up to 8.5 times faster than the M2 Pro version. The Mac Studio now starts at $2,499 with the M5 Max chip or $5,499 with the new M5 Ultra, up from $5,299 for the prior Ultra model, and multiple M5 Ultra units can be linked together to pool memory for running large AI models. "With these frameworks and new chips, developers can run and fine-tune large AI models locally on their Mac," Apple said. Preorders opened Tuesday, with units shipping September 22.
The performance gains here are substantial, not incremental. The M6 chip delivers 4 times faster AI performance and is Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s first chip built on a 2-nanometer process. The M5 Pro configuration processes large language model prompts 8.5 times faster than the model it replaces, Apple's own specifications show, giving Apple genuine technical claims to back its AI-focused marketing.
Apple is showing pricing power even as component costs rise industry-wide. Despite memory and silicon shortages pushing costs higher across the industry, Apple raised prices on both product lines rather than absorbing the cost pressure itself. It is a sign the company believes demand can bear higher price points.
These desktops are becoming more strategically important to Apple than their revenue alone suggests. It shows how Mac desktops have become a foothold in the AI development world for Apple. It is a showcase for its custom silicon that can influence which platform developers build AI tools on and an ecosystem benefit that extends beyond the sale of any individual machine.
#faster #chip #ultra
2 months ago
