Apple’s New Mac mini Lineup Puts M6 and M5 Pro Side by Side

Apple has introduced two new Mac mini models: a lower-cost version with the new M6 chip and a higher-end model with the M5 Pro. The unusual pricing and configuration gap makes the choice more important for buyers, including developers evaluating performance versus cost.

Apple has announced two new Mac mini models, and the choice between them is not as simple as “cheaper vs. faster.” The new entry-level Mac mini starts with Apple’s all-new M6 chip, while the more expensive model uses the M5 Pro chip that first appeared in the MacBook Pro earlier this year.

That split matters because Apple is repeating a pattern seen before: the newest silicon is going into the base model, while the higher-end machine is getting a previous-generation Pro chip. In other words, the pricier Mac mini is not just a faster version of the cheaper one.

The M6 Mac mini starts at $899 and includes a 12-core CPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of storage. The M5 Pro Mac mini starts at $1,699 with a 15-core CPU, 24GB of memory, and 512GB of storage, and it can be configured with up to an 18-core CPU and a 20-core GPU.

For developers and other power users, the biggest takeaway is the price gap. At $800, this is the largest starting-price difference Apple has ever set for the Mac mini, making configuration choices more consequential than in previous generations. Buyers now have to weigh the appeal of Apple’s latest chip against the extra memory, storage, and Pro-class performance available in the higher-end model.

Apple says both machines are physically identical and share most of their hardware. That means the decision is likely to come down to workload, budget, and how much the extra Pro-tier specs are worth for your setup.

Both Mac mini models are available to pre-order now and will launch on Tuesday, September 22.

Source: MacRumors