I recently reviewed the M5 Max Mac Studio, and it’s a powerhouse. But there’s a higher-end version that’s even more powerful. It’s the M5 Ultra Mac Studio, and our German colleagues at Macwelt have a full review of it. Macwelt shared their benchmarks with us, so here’s a look at the M5 Ultra Mac Studio and how it compares to the M5 Max and older Mac Studios.
The M5 Ultra tested here is the top-end chip configuration with a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU. It also has a 4TB SSD and 256GB of RAM–the most you can get for now. Apple says that a 512GB option will be available in October. This model sells for $12,299 The 512GB model will likely cost an additional $5,000 or more.
Geekbench 7
Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.
The M5 Ultra has twice the CPU cores as the M5 Max in our tests. In general, the M5 Ultra offers a 47 percent increase in multi-core CPU performance over the M5 Max. Unsurprisingly, the single-core CPU results are basically the same, as is the case with all M-series generations.
Compared to the chip the M5 Ultra replaces in the Mac Studio lineup, it offers a 47 percent multi-core CPU boost. The M5 Ultra’s single-core CPU speeds are 27 percent faster.
Geekbench 6
Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.
The advantage of the M5 Ultra over the M5 Max in Geekbench 6 isn’t as drastic (25 percent) but that has more to do with the test than the chip. Geekbench 7 redesigned its multi-core tests and changed its workloads to better reflect real-world usage, so while this data point isn’t relevant anymore, it’s presented in case you’re curious. Geekbench 6 and 7 numbers are not comparable.
Cinebench 2026
Results are expressed as Cinebench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.
The M5 Ultra’s gigantic boost over the M5 Max is also seen here in Cinebench 2026–72 percent increase is huge. The GPU boost is significant, too, at 49 percent. Cinebench is more taxing than Geekbench by producing a high CPU load using Maxon’s Redshift render engine. If you work in media, pay attention to this result.
Blackmagic Disk Tests
Results are megabytes per second. Higher rates/longer bars are faster.
I said that the SSD performance was the big deal about the M5 Max Mac Studio, and it’s the same with the M5 Ultra model. You need a speedy SSD to complement the CPU performance.
One note about the SSD: Apple continues to outfit the Mac Studio with a removable SSD module. It’s a bit tricky to get inside the Mac Studio, take it apart, and upgrade the SSD yourself. But it can be done.
Geekbench AI Neural Engine
Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.
Geekbench AI GPU
Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.
The Geekbench AI results are interesting. The M5 Max and Ultra show a clear boost over older chips, but between the two chips themselves, there isn’t a difference except in the GPU Single Precision score. The M5 Ultra features a 32-core Neural Engine, twice the number of cores as the M5 Max. And the M5 Ultra has an 80-core GPU, twice that of the M5 Max.
The Mac Studio is popular with AI developers, and this test isn’t going to dissuade anyone. However, a recent report outlined Apple’s focus on local AI performance with the M7 chips, which are expected to be released next year. It’s just a rumor and we don’t even know if there will be an M7 Ultra, but it’s something AI developers will want to keep an eye on.
Obviously, you get a lot of processing power with the M5 Ultra Mac Studio. But is it worth its $10,000-plus price? If you’re willing to spend that much, almost certainly. There is a point where price is no object for performance–the horsepower investment will pay off. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio is the fastest Mac ever made by a pretty wide margin, and the price is commensurate.
However, with orders already sliping into late January, if you want one, you’re going to want to get your order in pretty quickly.
