Apple Unveils New Mac Mini with M6 Chip…"4x AI Performance, Always-On Agentic PC"
Apple unveiled a new Mac mini equipped with the all-new M6 chip and M5 Pro chip on the 25th (local time). The key feature is the performance designed for the "agentic AI" era packed into a palm-sized ultra-compact desktop. Pre-orders will begin at 10 a.m. on the 27th in Korea, with official sales starting on September 22.
This generation focuses on AI. According to Apple, the M6-equipped model achieves up to 4x improved AI performance compared to the previous generation (M4). This means faster responses when using "local AI"—running AI like ChatGPT directly on your computer without the internet. General task speed (CPU) is 40% faster, graphics performance for games and video is 2x faster, and storage device speed for reading and writing files is also 2x higher.
AI Accelerators Built into Each GPU Core
A notable technical highlight is that, for the first time in Mac mini, Apple embedded a "neural accelerator" into each of the 12 GPU cores. This shifts the structure so that graphic cores directly share AI computing tasks previously handled by a separate AI-dedicated circuit (Neural Engine), significantly speeding up the initial processing stage where large language models (LLMs) ingest lengthy documents. Apple emphasized that users upgrading from Mac mini with M1 will experience up to 13.5x faster processing speeds.
The high-performance M5 Pro-equipped model comes with up to 18-core CPU and up to 20-core GPU, and unified memory can be upgraded to 64GB. In local AI, memory capacity determines the size of models that can run, while memory bandwidth (307GB/s) affects the speed of response generation. With specifications capable of running models with tens of billions of parameters on a desktop, it targets professional tasks such as video rendering, 3D design, and scientific simulations.
Connectivity has also been upgraded. Both models support WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 by default, with 2.5Gb Ethernet as standard and 10Gb Ethernet as an option. The front features two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, while the back of the M6 model has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and the M5 Pro model has three Thunderbolt 5 ports, plus HDMI and Ethernet ports.
The operating system will come with macOS 27, which will be freely distributed this fall. With next-generation Apple Intelligence and "Siri AI" added, it helps find information in messages, emails, and photos and assists with tasks that span multiple apps. Apple Intelligence supports Korean language, while Siri AI will start in English beta and expand language support over time.
New Position as "24-Hour AI Assistant"
Notable is Apple's introduction of the new Mac mini as an "always-on agentic computing system." This puts front and center the use case of running autonomous AI agents on a small desktop computer 24/7, and is assessed as targeting demand for using AI at home or in the office without sending personal information to the cloud. Johnny Srouji, Apple's head of hardware engineering, stated, "Mac mini is a versatile Mac that delivers on every task, from a home computer to a core system in a professional studio and an always-on agentic device."
On the same day, Apple also unveiled a new Mac Studio equipped with the M5 Max and new M5 Ultra chips, reorganizing its entire desktop lineup around AI.
Domestic pricing starts at ₩1.499 million for the M6 Mac mini and ₩2.99 million for the M5 Pro model. With education discounts, they are available starting at ₩1.329 million and ₩2.809 million, respectively.