Apple reportedly plans Mac Studio refresh with M5 Ultra chip and up to 768GB RAM

Apple is preparing to update its Mac Studio line with a new M5 Ultra chip, Bloomberg reports. The M5 Ultra would be the last processor in the M5 series before the company moves to the next generation of chips, including the M6 and M7 families. The refreshed Mac Studio, which has not been updated since March 2025, is slated for a launch that could occur around October 2026, although the exact timing remains uncertain.

The M5 Ultra is expected to feature roughly 36 CPU cores and up to 80 GPU cores, a configuration comparable to the current M3 Ultra model that offers up to 32 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. Apple has reportedly tested the platform for support of as much as 768GB of unified memory, though supply constraints might limit the availability of that configuration at launch.

"The M5 Ultra chip is expected to have around 36 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores, which is not too far off from the M3 Ultra," the report noted.

Apple recently discontinued the 512GB RAM option for the M3 Ultra Mac Studio and currently offers the model with a maximum of 96GB RAM. Recent price adjustments have raised the cost of the 96GB Mac Studio from $3,999 to $5,299, and analysts suggest that a version with significantly higher memory could exceed $10,000.

The delay in the Mac Studio refresh has been attributed to memory chip supply challenges and the broader price increases across Apple's Mac lineup.