The M6 Mac mini Is Here — Just Don’t Expect to Upgrade It

Apple’s first M6-powered Macs have now hit store shelves. This morning, Apple announced that the new Mac mini and Mac Studio, powered by its latest generation of silicon, are now available for purchase at Apple Store retail locations and the Apple Store online.

The new models were unveiled last month in a surprise twist — an atypical summer product announcement — and while Apple opened them for pre-order on August 25, it said they wouldn’t be shipping until September 22.

Despite the in-store availability, we’re still waiting on the most super-charged model of Mac Studio; the M5 Ultra model with 512 GB of RAM is still listed as coming in “late October.” Of course, considering that the 256 GB version that’s available today will still set you back between $10,799 and $18,299, depending on how large of an SSD you want to pack in, we’re not sure we want to know what the 512 GB model will sell for.

That’s obviously on the extreme end of the scale, as the Mac Studio starts at $2,499 if you configure it with an M5 Max chip and the standard 36 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD. That’s essentially the same chip you’ll find in the latest MacBook Pro models that Apple released in March, but as usual, the Mac Studio also sports the significantly more powerful M5 Ultra chip.

An M5 Ultra upgrade commands a $3,000 premium on its own for the lower-tier version of the chip with a 30-core CPU and 64-core GPU, bringing the starting price to $5,499. If you want the full M5 Ultra experience — a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU — that takes the base price up to $6,799. However, the M5 Ultra also starts at 96 GB of RAM, which undoubtedly accounts for some of that price increase (the M5 Max version doesn’t offer 96 GB, but can be taken to 128 GB for an additional $2,000).

The Mac mini provides a far more affordable platform, although Apple’s recent price hikes have still taken it out of the strict “budget” category it once occupied. The first Mac to feature Apple’s new M6 chip, the base Mac mini starts at $899 with 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. It can also be configured with an M5 Pro chip, with that base model packing in 24 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD for $1,699.

However, a maxed-out Mac mini with 64 GB of RAM and an 8 TB SSD will set you back $6,799 — the same price as an M5 Ultra Mac Studio with 96 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. It’s pretty clear SSD prices aren’t what they used to be, as that upgrade from 512 GB to 8 TB alone accounts for $3,800 of the price tag.

Choose Your Mac mini Carefully

Apple’s latest Mac mini follows the same playbook as the MacBook, so you’ll want to make sure you pay for all the storage you need right out of the box.

The 2024 M4 Mac mini had a removable SSD — a pleasant surprise which allowed for aftermarket storage upgrades. This not only meant you could change your mind later, but it also helped you save a few bucks as Apple’s SSD prices have traditionally been considerably more expensive than third-party solutions — and even more so if you’re not looking for the fastest SSDs on the market.

For example, Expand Mac mini, which sells storage upgrades specifically tailored for Apple’s M4 Mac mini, offers a 2 TB SSD expansion module for $420, while Apple charges $1,000 to upgrade from 256 GB to 1 TB.

Unfortunately, as the folks at Expand Mac mini reported earlier today, Apple has reverted to the design of the older M-series Mac mini models, soldering the SSD NAND chip directly onto the logic board. “No slot means nothing to swap, and very little room left for us,” the post said, which makes it very unlikely you’ll be able to purchase storage upgrades for the M6 or M5 Pro Mac mini. That alone could be a reason to opt for an older M4 or M4 Pro Mac mini while supplies last.