Apple this week announced a new Mac Studio with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, discontinuing the M4 Max and M3 Ultra models that had been on sale since March 2025.
The machine's design is unchanged for a fifth consecutive year, with all of the upgrades being internal. The table below details everything that changed regardless of whether you choose a Max or an Ultra chip. The two tables that follow break down the differences within each tier.
What Changed Across Both Models
Here's everything that differs between the 2025 and 2026 Mac Studio irrespective of configuration:
| Mac Studio (2025) | Mac Studio (2026) |
|---|---|
| Baseline SSD read and write speeds | Next-generation SSD architecture built on PCIe Gen 6, with up to twice the read and write speeds |
| Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) via the Apple-designed N1 chip |
| Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 6 |
| Genlock over USB-C |
With the latest model, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 arrive on the Mac Studio for the first time, facilitated by the same N1 chip Apple introduced in the iPhone 17 lineup. Apple also says the new machine is made with 35% recycled content overall, including 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets.
Mac Studio M4 Max vs. M5 Max
Here's everything that differs between the M4 Max and M5 Max configurations:
| Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025) | Mac Studio (M5 Max, 2026) |
|---|---|
| M4 Max chip | M5 Max chip |
| 14-core CPU, configurable to 16-core, with 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores | 18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 performance cores |
| 32-core GPU, configurable to 40-core | 32-core GPU, configurable to 40-core, with Neural Accelerators built into every core and enhanced shader cores |
| Second-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing | Third-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing |
| Up to 546GB/s memory bandwidth | Up to 614GB/s memory bandwidth |
| 36GB unified memory with the 32-core GPU, or 64GB with the 40-core GPU (128GB option withdrawn in May 2026) | 36GB unified memory with the 32-core GPU, or 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB with the 40-core GPU |
| Weighs 6.1 pounds (2.74 kg) | Weighs 6.0 pounds (2.7 kg) |
| Now discontinued | Starts at $2,499 |
The most immediately useful change is at the entry level. The M4 Max started with a 14-core CPU and could be configured up to 16 cores, whereas the M5 Max has an 18-core CPU as standard with no CPU upgrade to buy. Apple has also changed its core architecture, dropping the performance and efficiency split in favor of 6 super cores and 12 performance cores.
Mac Studio M3 Ultra vs. M5 Ultra
The table below outlines every difference between the two Ultra configurations:
| Mac Studio (M3 Ultra, 2025) | Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 2026) |
|---|---|
| M3 Ultra chip | M5 Ultra chip |
| 28-core CPU, configurable to 32-core, with 24 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores | 30-core CPU, configurable to 36-core, with 12 super cores and 24 performance cores |
| 60-core GPU, configurable to 80-core | 64-core GPU, configurable to 80-core, with Neural Accelerators built into every core and enhanced shader cores |
| First-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing | Third-generation hardware-accelerated ray tracing |
| Dynamic Caching | Second-generation Dynamic Caching |
| 819GB/s memory bandwidth | 1.2TB/s memory bandwidth |
| 96GB, 256GB, or 512GB unified memory (512GB option withdrawn in March 2026 and the 256GB option withdrawn in May 2026) | 96GB or 256GB unified memory, or 512GB with the 80-core GPU |
| Now discontinued | Starts at $5,499 |
Across both generations, the maximum GPU still contains 80 cores, the Neural Engine still contains 32 cores, display support and media engine is identical, storage still maxes out at 16TB, and maximum unified memory is still 512GB. The 1.2TB/s of bandwidth feeding that memory, which is 50% higher than before, and the Neural Accelerators for each GPU core, are among the key changes.
How Big Are the Upgrades?
Apple's own comparisons against the outgoing chips are heavily weighted toward AI and graphics. For the M5 Max against the M4 Max, Apple claims:
- Up to 3.9x faster LLM prompt processing in LM Studio
- Up to 3.5x faster text-to-image performance
- Up to 3x faster Magic Mask performance in Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio
- Up to 1.9x faster basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW
- Up to 50% faster graphics performance
For the M5 Ultra against the M3 Ultra, Apple claims:
- Up to 4.3x faster text-to-image performance
- Up to 4x faster LLM prompt processing in LM Studio
- Up to 3.3x faster CopyCat ML training performance in Foundry Nuke
- Up to 1.8x faster graphics performance
- Up to 1.7x faster scene rendering performance in Maxon Redshift
- Up to 1.3x higher multithreaded CPU performance
On either chip, tasks that use matrix multiplication can run three to four times faster thanks to new Neural Accelerators in each GPU core.
Which to Choose?
Apple no longer sells the M4 Max or M3 Ultra models, which became relatively poor value for money by the end of their run. The M4 Max cost $2,499 with a 14-core CPU and up to 64GB of memory. For the same price, the M5 Max has an 18-core CPU, 614GB/s memory bandwidth, up to 128GB of memory, twice-fast storage, and Wi‑Fi 7. The M3 Ultra ended at $5,299 with a 96GB memory limit. For $200... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: 2025 vs. 2026 Mac Studio Buyer's Guide: All Upgrades Compared
