M5 Max Mac Studio drops $200 as Apple readies 512GB M5 Ultra for local AI
TechRadar reports that the Mac Studio with M5 Max (18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine), 36GB of memory and 512GB of storage is down to $2,299 from $2,499 at B&H Photo, an 8% discount; the 1TB configuration is $2,579, down from $2,799. The article says Apple's 512GB M5 Ultra Mac Studio, aimed at running large AI models locally, is due to ship in late October and may appear at Apple's event next week, with the author speculating it could start well above $10,000. Citing a roundup of M5 Ultra reviews, it says the Ultra's real strength is local AI, while its multi-core lead over the M5 Max is only about 26% and single-core performance is roughly the same.
For developers running AI models locally, the choice comes down to the M5 Ultra's memory ceiling versus the M5 Max's lower price.