Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra) review: Huge AI and graphics power at a large premium

Engadget staff@engadget.com (Steve Dent)

21 Sept 2026 23:00 AEST 1 min read Review A judgment of a work or a place. Rewritten in plain language

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Overview

At $11,299, the extra performance over the M5 Max model is only worth it for select buyers.
The M5 Max model jumped from a base $2,000 price to $2,500, but the M5 Ultra version now starts at $5,500, a large jump from the previous model's $4,000 price.
The previous Mac Studio choices were confusing, with either M4 Max or M3 Ultra processors available.
In comparison, the Mac Studio M3 Ultra model with the top-end 32C chip, 256GB of RAM and 2TB of storage was $7,499, or $3,800 less.
Apple withdrew its initial claim that the Mac Studio M5 Ultra used the new PCIe 6.0 standard, but this is as fast as PCIe 5.0 can possibly go.

5 sentences from our version of the report, chosen to cover it. Nothing here is written; every line is in the article below. How

Headline check

Headline as published: Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra) review: Huge AI and graphics power at a huge premium

One of the three things this headline claims did not turn up in the report.

“Huge” is named in the headline. We could not find it in the report.

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The article, shortened and in plain language

At $11,299, the extra performance over the M5 Max model is only worth it for select buyers.

For creative or AI pros looking for Apple's most powerful desktop computer, there's now only one model to consider: the Mac Studio.

Given that amount of memory, the Mac Studio is vulnerable to the " RAMageddon " crisis that has seen memory prices soar over the last year. The M5 Max model jumped from a base $2,000 price to $2,500, but the M5 Ultra version now starts at $5,500, a large jump from the previous model's $4,000 price.

The Mac Studio offers the same array of ports as before, too. In back, both models have four Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, along with two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, 10Gb Ethernet and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The previous Mac Studio choices were confusing, with either M4 Max or M3 Ultra processors available. The M5 Ultra now comes with up to a 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU and 32-core neural engine, up from 32 CPU cores before.

In comparison, the Mac Studio M3 Ultra model with the top-end 32C chip, 256GB of RAM and 2TB of storage was $7,499, or $3,800 less.

The Mac Studio M5 Max, meanwhile, comes with up to a 18-core CPU, along with a 40-core GPU and 16-core neural engine.

Apple withdrew its initial claim that the Mac Studio M5 Ultra used the new PCIe 6.0 standard, but this is as fast as PCIe 5.0 can possibly go.

Shortened to 1 minute of reading, this version reads 10.2 on the Niral Score.

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is Engadget's report shortened to its most important sentences, in plainer words, with verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

Indicators

Niral Score 13.9was 18.7 mundaneloaded

Highlighted in the text. Words that carry a fact and quoted words are not counted.

model18memory8though8neural7engine6models6performance6ports6price6speeds6same5test5cores4expensive4extra4faster4four4fps4machine4previous4seen4unified4version4able3configuration3double3highest3large3machines3power3powerful3processor3scores3see3storage3synthetic3tests3timeline3work3along2available2base2based2below2better2buyers2capable2chip2claim2claims2come2comes2company2compared2computer2computers2configurations2content2creator2design2

Sentiment +0.1 hostilefavourable Jingoistic 0.6 reports to a readerwrites from a camp Sourcing 11was 9 unattributednamed sources Mood 50.5 sorrowjoyful

4 read zero: political diction, generational, gender, religious

Political diction 0 left-codedright-coded Generational 0 harder on the oldharder on the young Gender 0 no gendered framingframing throughout Religious 0 not invokedovert

Measurements of how this article is written, not of whether it is correct. How each one is measured.

Measured on our version above. Struck through: the same measure of Engadget’s report as filed. The outlet comparison and the extension show the same pair.

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Outlet	Niral Score	Adjectives	Sourcing	Sentiment	Happiness
Engadgetas they published this story	18.7	39	9	0.1	50.5
Mundane Readneutralized from Engadget	13.9	35	9	0.1	50.5

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