Mac Mini

M6 Moves Into Apple's Smallest Desktop

The refreshed Mac mini keeps the compact enclosure introduced in 2024 and changes what is inside. Its base M6 combines a 12-core CPU with a 12-core GPU, two more cores on each side than the M5. Apple offers the same machine with M5 Pro for heavier professional work, including a configuration with an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU.

Two Neural Engines Take On Local AI

M6 is Apple's first chip with two 16-core Neural Engines, and each GPU core now has a Neural Accelerator. Apple measures the M6 mini at up to four times the AI performance and twice the graphics performance of a particular M4 configuration. The base model supports up to 32GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage, while M5 Pro raises those ceilings to 64GB and 8TB.

Networking Gets the Most Visible Upgrade

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and standard 2.5Gb Ethernet replace the older wireless standards and 1Gb wired port. The familiar layout remains: two USB-C ports and a headphone jack in front, plus HDMI, Ethernet, and three Thunderbolt connections at the rear. M6 uses Thunderbolt 4, M5 Pro gets Thunderbolt 5, and both can drive three external displays.

The Entry Price Is No Longer Tiny

The M6 model starts at $899 with 16GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. M5 Pro begins at $1,699 with 24GB and 512GB, putting it much closer to workstation territory. Mac mini remains Apple's most space-efficient desktop, but this generation asks buyers to choose between the new M6 architecture and the wider memory and expansion limits of M5 Pro.