The newly released Mac mini features the M6 chip, which offers a 20% increase in CPU and GPU cores compared to the previous M4 model. The M6 chip includes a dedicated neural accelerator for each graphics core and a dual 16-core neural engine, significantly enhancing local AI performance. The device supports memory bandwidth up to 170GB/s and features storage speeds twice as fast as the previous base model. Connectivity has been upgraded to include the N1 chip, enabling Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7, while the LAN port now supports 2.5Gb Ethernet. Despite these performance gains, the base model price has increased to $899, a 50% rise from the original M4 Mac mini launch price. The M6 Mac mini maintains the same compact 5-inch by 5-inch form factor as its predecessor. Benchmarks indicate that the M6 model performs remarkably close to the higher-spec M4 Pro, despite having fewer CPU and GPU cores. Apple also updated the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra chip, which is available in configurations with up to 16TB of storage.
The M6 chip features 12 CPU and 12 GPU cores, representing a 20% increase over the M4. Each graphics core in the M6 chip includes a dedicated neural accelerator for improved AI performance.
Connectivity upgrades include the N1 chip, which supports Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 standards. The base model Mac mini now includes 2.5Gb Ethernet, with an optional 10Gb upgrade available.
The M6 Mac mini delivers performance that is competitive with the higher-spec M4 Pro model. The base model price for the new Mac mini has increased to $899 from the previous $599.
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Worth noting
- The video uses pre-release or limited-access hardware for testing, which may not reflect final retail performance.
- Benchmark results are specific to the reviewer's test environment and may vary based on user configuration.