Mac Studio · New for 2026
M5 Max & M5 Ultra vs M4 Max & M3 Ultra
Full spec comparison, AI & memory performance, AUD prices & what to buy.
On 25 August 2026 Apple gave the Mac Studio its biggest update yet — the new M5 Max and M5 Ultra, with up to 512GB of unified memory, PCIe Gen 6 storage and a huge leap in on-device AI. Pre-order now; it ships from 22 September 2026 (512GB configs from October). Here's how the new chips compare with the 2025 M4 Max and M3 Ultra — and which Mac Studio to buy.
CPU performance, side by side
Geekbench 6 multi-core score — higher is faster, all four chips on one scale. Measured scores except where marked (est.).
Geekbench 6 multi-core — M4 Max · M5 Max · M3 Ultra · M5 Ultra
Notably, the 18-core M5 Max already edges past the 32-core M3 Ultra in multi-core CPU. The M5 Ultra hadn't been independently benchmarked at publication — its bar uses Apple's stated up-to-1.3× CPU gain over the M3 Ultra and will be updated when real scores land. Sources: Geekbench, Apple. GPU and AI comparisons are in the sections below.
Full spec sheet
| Specification |
M4 Max (2025)
|
M5 Max New
|
M3 Ultra (2025)
|
M5 Ultra New
|
| Tier & year |
Max · 2025 |
Max · 2026 |
Ultra · 2025 |
Ultra · 2026 |
| CPU |
up to 16-core |
18-core |
up to 32-core |
up to 36-core
|
| GPU |
up to 40-core |
up to 40-core + Neural Accel.
|
up to 80-core |
up to 80-core + Neural Accel. |
| Neural Engine |
16-core |
Dual 16-core |
32-core |
32-core |
| Max unified memory |
128GB |
128GB |
512GB |
512GB |
| Memory bandwidth |
546 GB/s |
614 GB/s |
819 GB/s |
1.2 TB/s |
| Max storage |
8TB |
16TB |
16TB |
16TB |
| SSD interface |
PCIe Gen 4 |
PCIe Gen 6 |
PCIe Gen 4 |
PCIe Gen 6 |
| Thunderbolt |
Thunderbolt 5 |
Thunderbolt 5 |
Thunderbolt 5 |
Thunderbolt 5 |
| Wireless |
Wi-Fi 6E · BT 5.3 |
Wi-Fi 7 · BT 6 (N1) |
Wi-Fi 6E · BT 5.3 |
Wi-Fi 7 · BT 6 (N1) |
| Starting price (AU RRP) |
A$3,499 |
A$4,299 |
A$6,999 |
A$9,499 |
New-model specs & performance claims from Apple Newsroom (25 Aug 2026) & Macworld; 2025 specs from MacRumors. AU prices are Apple RRP.
AI & memory: the real story of the 2026 Studio
The Mac Studio has become Apple's local-AI workstation, and the M5 generation leans right into it. Both new chips add Neural Accelerators inside every GPU core (new with M5 and absent on the M4 Max / M3 Ultra), the M5 Max gains a dual Neural Engine, and the M5 Ultra pairs 512GB of unified memory with a massive 1.2 TB/s of bandwidth — enough to hold and run very large language models entirely on-device.
3.9×M5 Max AI vs M4 Max
(Apple)
4.3×M5 Ultra AI vs M3 Ultra
(Apple)
1.2 TB/sM5 Ultra memory bandwidth
512GBMax unified memory (both Ultras)
AI / memory
M4 Max
M5 Max
M3 Ultra
M5 Ultra
Neural Engine
16-core
Dual 16-core
32-core
32-core
GPU Neural Accelerators
No
Yes
No
Yes
Memory bandwidth
546 GB/s
614 GB/s
819 GB/s
1.2 TB/s
Max unified memory
128GB
128GB
512GB
512GB
Best for big local LLMs
Good
Better
Great value
Best
AI figures are Apple's own stated comparisons versus the previous generation; real-world gains vary by app and model.
The value pick for AI: the M3 Ultra (512GB)
For running the largest models on-device, the spec that matters most is how much unified memory you can buy — a model only runs if it fits. That makes the 2025 M3 Ultra a standout value: it still scales to the same 512GB as the new M5 Ultra, at a much lower price.
Cheaper
Thousands less
- M3 Ultra from A$6,999 vs M5 Ultra from A$9,499
- M4 Max from A$3,499 vs M5 Max from A$4,299
- Same 512GB memory ceiling on both Ultras
When to pay up
Choose M5 Ultra if…
- You want the fastest AI — up to 4.3× the M3 Ultra
- You need 1.2 TB/s bandwidth & GPU Neural Accelerators
- PCIe Gen 6 storage, Wi-Fi 7 and the latest platform matter
Bottom line: buy the M5 Ultra for the fastest on-device AI and the newest platform. But if your goal is running large models affordably, the M3 Ultra with 512GB remains a superb-value AI machine — and the M4 Max is the smart pick for most creative pros who don't need Ultra-class memory.
What else is new in the 2026 Studio
Beyond raw speed, the M5 Studio modernises the whole platform: PCIe Gen 6 SSDs (up to 2× faster storage), Apple's N1 wireless chip (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6), USB-C genlock, support for up to eight displays, and Thunderbolt 5 clustering for distributing large AI workloads across multiple machines. Apple also quotes up to 1.3× faster CPU and 1.8× faster graphics on the M5 Ultra versus the M3 Ultra.
Which Mac Studio should you buy?
M5 Max (or M4 Max)
Best for most pros
- 4K/8K editing, colour, motion graphics, music production
- Large Xcode builds, VMs, everyday on-device AI
- Buy the M5 Max new; the M4 Max is excellent value
M5 Ultra (or M3 Ultra)
Best for extreme & AI workloads
- Huge 3D scenes, 8K multicam, scientific compute
- Large local LLMs needing 256–512GB of memory
- Buy the M5 Ultra new; the M3 Ultra is the value king for big-memory AI
Buy now or wait for 22 September? If you need the newest chips and fastest AI, pre-order the M5 Max / M5 Ultra now (512GB configs land in October). If you need a machine today or want to save, the M4 Max and M3 Ultra are still formidable and fully supported.
Kit out your Mac Studio at Macfixit
Australian owned since 2005. The Mac Studio's Thunderbolt 5 ports are built for fast external storage — and our certified technicians can help you spec and set it up. Explore the storage Studio owners rely on:
Frequently asked questions
Which Mac Studio is best for local AI and large LLMs?
The M5 Ultra leads, pairing up to 512GB of unified memory with 1.2 TB/s of bandwidth, GPU Neural Accelerators and Apple's figure of up to 4.3x faster AI than the M3 Ultra. For running the largest models affordably, the 2025 M3 Ultra is outstanding value - it also reaches 512GB, at a much lower price. The M5 Max (128GB) is excellent for most everyday AI work.
When is the new M5 Max / M5 Ultra Mac Studio available?
Announced 25 August 2026, pre-orders open now, with deliveries from 22 September 2026 (512GB configurations arrive in October). In Australia the M5 Max starts at A$4,299 and the M5 Ultra at A$9,499.
How fast is the M5 Max CPU compared with the M3 Ultra?
In Geekbench 6 multi-core the 18-core M5 Max scores about 29,200, edging past the 32-core M3 Ultra (around 27,700) and the M4 Max (around 26,700). The M5 Ultra hasn't been independently benchmarked yet, but Apple quotes up to 1.3x the M3 Ultra's CPU, which would put it near 36,000.
Is the M3 Ultra still worth buying in 2026?
Absolutely, if you need lots of memory. The M3 Ultra scales to 512GB with 819 GB/s of bandwidth, so it runs very large local models, at a lower price than the M5 Ultra. The M5 Ultra is faster and more efficient, but the M3 Ultra is the value choice for memory-bound AI.
Can I upgrade the RAM or storage later?
No - unified memory is fixed at purchase on every Mac Studio, so buy enough up front. Internal storage is a proprietary Apple module and not user-upgradeable in the usual sense; most owners add fast Thunderbolt 5 external SSD or RAID storage instead, which Macfixit stocks.
