# Mac Mini wins, iMac needs refresh, Mac Studio for pros > Apple's three desktop Macs get a fresh look. The M6 Mac Mini is the pick for most people, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio dominates for AI work, and the aging iMac needs an update. - Title: Mac Mini wins, iMac needs refresh, Mac Studio for pros · WIRED - Summary: Apple's three desktop Macs get a fresh look. The M6 Mac Mini is the pick for most people, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio dominates for AI work, and the aging iMac… - Keywords: mac mini, mac studio, imac, apple, m6 chip, m5 ultra, desktop computers, ai models, local ai, Mac, Mini, wins - Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/best-mac-desktop - Author: Luke Larsen - Published: 2026-10-09T11:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 4 min - Topics: mac mini, mac studio, imac, apple, m6 chip, m5 ultra, desktop computers, ai models, local ai ## Mac desktops are back MacBooks dominated for years, but Mac desktops are getting a resurgence. The Mac Mini and Mac Studio were refreshed with new chips and a focus on running local AI. ## Mac Mini is the best choice Apple upgraded the Mac Mini with the M6 chip. The base model costs eight hundred ninety nine dollars and now has higher specs and a focus on running local AI. ## M6 has strong GPU performance The new M6 chip is especially fast in GPU performance. If you are a fledgling video editor or designer, the base configuration packs plenty of performance for creative applications. ## Mac Mini as an AI box AI enthusiasts can use the Mac Mini as an always-on, agentic AI box that sits on a desk and can be controlled remotely from a MacBook or iPhone. Just upgrade the memory. ## M5 Pro for professionals The Mac Mini also comes with an M5 Pro model. You can configure it up to twenty GPU cores, which help with gaming, three D modeling, and video rendering. ## M6 ships quickly Shipping times on the M6 Mac Mini have improved. You can buy one and pick it up today from an Apple Store. M5 Pro models may take up to four weeks to ship. ## Mac Studio for power users The Mac Studio comes in two versions. The base configuration has an M5 Max chip with impressive GPU performance. The M5 Ultra is two M5 Max dies stitched together. ## M5 Max for heavy AI work The M5 Max lets you configure up to one hundred twenty eight gigabytes of unified memory, which matters if you plan to run heavy local AI models. This puts you over five thousand dollars quickly. ## M5 Ultra delivers extreme power The M5 Ultra sometimes resulted in double the performance of the M5 Max, such as in GPU performance. The model tested had two hundred fifty six gigabytes of memory and cost over eleven thousand dollars. ## M5 Ultra runs massive AI models The tester downloaded and ran some of the largest and most powerful AI models on the M5 Ultra. A foundation-tier LLM ran completely on-device with no cloud needed. ## M5 Ultra handles gaming well Games like Cyberpunk two thousand seventy seven ran very smoothly on the M5 Ultra. The tester had never seen games play this smoothly on a Mac before. ## Mac Studio shipping is slow Shipping times on the Mac Studio are still problematic.If you want one hundred twenty eight gigabytes or more of memory, you will wait up to a month and a half. ## iMac is outdated The iMac has not been updated since two thousand twenty four and still uses the M4 chip. It costs one thousand four hundred ninety nine dollars but lacks the performance of newer Macs. ## iMac screen is too small The main issue is that there is currently only a twenty three point five inch model, which is smaller than what most people will probably want. ## iMac locks you in The iMac is cheaper than buying a Studio Display paired with a new Mac Mini, but it locks you into a one-time purchase you cannot upgrade later. ## Why Mac desktops sold out Before the M6 launch, Mac Minis were sold out for most of the year. According to Apple on an earnings call, both computers are amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools, and customer adoption is… > amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools ## Mac Pro was discontinued The Mac Pro was relaunched in two thousand nineteen with a focus on upgradability and modular components.Apple did not officially discontinue it until March two thousand twenty six, after almost three years without an update. ## Mac Studio replaced Mac Pro With Apple silicon and rapid scaling of system-on-a-chip designs, the Mac Pro's focus on modularity made less sense. The Mac Studio with Ultra chips has since fully replaced the Mac Pro. ## Key takeaway The M6 Mac Mini is the best desktop Mac for most buyers, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio excels at AI work despite its cost, and the M4 iMac is outdated and should not be bought until refreshed.