Apple announced a new generation of Mac mini powered by its M6 and M5 Pro chips, bringing faster processors, upgraded connectivity, and a stronger emphasis on running artificial intelligence workloads locally.
The compact desktop keeps the same small-form-factor approach while gaining Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet as standard. A faster 10Gb Ethernet option is also available.
M6 Targets AI and Everyday Performance
The M6 Mac mini features a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, with Neural Accelerators integrated into each GPU core. Apple says the system delivers up to four times faster AI performance, twice the graphics performance, and 40% faster CPU performance compared with the previous M4 model.
It starts with 16GB of unified memory and can be configured with up to 32GB, while memory bandwidth reaches 170GB/s.
Apple is positioning those upgrades for more than conventional desktop tasks. The company says users can run local AI models, automate tasks with AI agents, edit media, and handle other machine-learning workloads directly on the Mac.
M5 Pro Steps Up for Professional Workloads
For users who need more processing power, the M5 Pro configuration offers up to an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU. It supports as much as 64GB of unified memory with 307GB/s of memory bandwidth.
The higher-end model is aimed at workloads such as software development, 3D rendering, video production, scientific computing, and larger local AI models.
Connectivity also differs between the two versions. The M6 model includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the M5 Pro model upgrades those connections to Thunderbolt 5. Both include HDMI, Ethernet, two front-facing USB-C ports, and a headphone jack.
The new Mac mini will run macOS 27, which introduces Apple’s next generation of Apple Intelligence features and Siri AI.
Apple says the updated Siri will be able to use personal context from information such as messages, emails, and photos, interact with content displayed on screen, and perform actions across supported apps. Some of these features remain in testing and will roll out with macOS 27 later in the year.
The Mac mini with M6 starts at $899 in the U.S., while the Mac mini with M5 Pro starts at $1,699. Pre-orders opened August 25, with both models scheduled to begin reaching customers and stores on September 22.
With this generation, Apple is positioning the Mac mini to not only be a compact home or professional desktop, but also aa relatively small system for running increasingly demanding AI workloads locally.
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