Apple Unveils New Mac mini With M6 Chip: "AI Performance 4X Faster, Always-On Agentic PC"
Apple unveiled a completely new Mac mini featuring the M6 chip and M5 Pro chip on the 25th (local time). The key highlight is packing performance aimed at the "agentic AI" era into a palm-sized ultra-compact desktop. In Korea, pre-orders begin at 10 a.m. on the 27th, with official sales starting on September 22nd.
This generation's focus is on AI. According to Apple, the M6-equipped model offers AI performance up to 4 times better than the previous generation (M4). This means faster responses when using "local AI"—running AI like ChatGPT directly on your computer without internet. General task speed (CPU) is 40% faster, graphics performance for gaming and video is 2 times faster, and storage device speed for reading and writing files is also 2 times faster.
AI Accelerators Built Into Each GPU Core
Notably, the Mac mini features neural accelerators embedded in each of the 12 GPU cores for the first time. This structure has graphics cores directly handle AI computations that were previously delegated to a separate AI-only circuit (neural engine), significantly speeding up the initial processing phase when large language models read lengthy documents. Apple emphasized that users upgrading from M1-era Mac minis will see processing speeds up to 13.5 times faster.
The high-performance M5 Pro model features up to 18-core CPU and up to 20-core GPU, with unified memory expandable 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 applications including video rendering, 3D design, and scientific simulation.
Connectivity has also been upgraded. Both models support WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 as standard, with 2.5Gb Ethernet included and 10Gb Ethernet available as an option. The front panel features 2 USB-C ports and a headphone jack, while the rear has three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the M6 model and three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the M5 Pro model, along with HDMI and Ethernet ports.
The operating system comes with macOS 27, set for free distribution this fall. Next-generation Apple Intelligence and "Siri AI" are added, assisting with finding information in messages, emails, and photos or working across multiple apps. Apple Intelligence supports Korean, while Siri AI will begin in beta with English and expand to more languages.
'24-Hour Running AI Assistant' as a New Approach
Apple's positioning of the new Mac mini as an "always-running agentic computing system" stands out. The company prominently presents using the Mac mini as a platform to run autonomous AI agents 24 hours a day on a small desktop computer, capturing demand from users wanting to use AI at home or in the office without sending personal data to the cloud. Johnny Srouji, Apple's Chief Hardware Technology Officer, stated: "Mac mini is a versatile Mac that delivers in any role—from a home computer to the core system of a professional studio to an always-on agentic device."
On the same day, Apple also unveiled the new Mac Studio featuring the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, restructuring its entire desktop lineup around AI.
Korean pricing starts at 1.499 million won for the M6 Mac mini and 2.99 million won for the M5 Pro model. With educational discounts, they are available from 1.329 million won and 2.809 million won respectively.