Mac mini M5 Pro vs Mac Studio M5 Max
Where the mini stops and the Studio starts.
Mac mini (M5 Pro)
Thickness: 127 mm
Weight: 730 g
Mac Studio (M5 Max)
Thickness: 197 mm
Weight: 2730 g
General Specifications | ||
| Specification | Mac mini (M5 Pro)  | Mac Studio (M5 Max)  |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Apple | Apple |
| Model | Mac mini (M5 Pro) | Mac Studio (M5 Max) |
| Chip | Apple M5 Pro | Apple M5 Max |
CPU & GPU | ||
| CPU cores | 15-core (to 18-core) | 18-core |
| CPU core layout | 5 super + 10 performance | 6 super + 12 performance |
| GPU cores | 16-core (to 20-core) | 32-core (to 40-core) |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core |
| Memory bandwidth | 307GB/s | 460GB/s (614GB/s configured) |
Memory & Storage | ||
| Starting memory | 24GB | 36GB |
| Memory options | 24GB, 48GB, 64GB | 36GB to 128GB |
| Starting storage | 512GB SSD | 512GB SSD |
| Storage options | 512GB to 8TB | 512GB to 8TB |
Ports & Connectivity | ||
| Front ports | 2x USB-C (10Gb/s) + 3.5 mm jack | 2x USB-C (10Gb/s) + SDXC slot |
| Thunderbolt | 3x Thunderbolt 5 (120Gb/s) | 4x Thunderbolt 5 (120Gb/s) |
| USB-A | None | 2x USB-A (5Gb/s) |
| SD card | No | SDXC card slot |
| Ethernet | 2.5Gb (10Gb option) | 10Gb Ethernet |
| HDMI | HDMI port | HDMI 2.1 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 6 |
| Thread | Yes | Not stated |
Display Support | ||
| External displays | Up to three external | Up to five external |
| Maximum resolution | 8K at 60Hz, 5K at 120Hz or 4K at 240Hz | Five displays over Thunderbolt and HDMI |
Media Engine | ||
| Hardware acceleration | H.264, HEVC, ProRes, ProRes RAW | H.264, HEVC, ProRes, ProRes RAW |
| Encode engines | Video + ProRes encode and decode | 2x video encode, 2x ProRes engines |
| AV1 | AV1 decode | AV1 decode |
Design & Power | ||
| Height | 4.97 cm | 9.50 cm |
| Width | 12.70 cm | 19.70 cm |
| Depth | 12.70 cm | 19.70 cm |
| Weight | 0.73 kg | 2.73 kg |
| Maximum continuous power | 155W | 480W |
Hardware & Feature Balance
Comparison across CPU and GPU cores, memory bandwidth, connectivity, display support and footprint
Generational Hardware Gains
Relative on-paper capability, indexed against the stronger chip at 100
Memory Bandwidth
Unified memory bandwidth available to the chip (higher is better)
These share Thunderbolt 5 and the same starting storage, so the split comes down to GPU power, ports and how much desk space you want to give up.
| Target Persona | M5 Pro | M5 Max |
|---|---|---|
The Colour Grader Needs 32 GPU cores, 460GB/s of bandwidth and two ProRes engines for heavy timelines. | 7.8/ 10 | 9.8/ 10 Best Fit |
The Small-Desk Owner Wants the smallest possible box: 0.73 kg against 2.73 kg, and a much smaller footprint. | 9.7/ 10 Best Fit | 7.4/ 10 |
The Photographer Gains from the front SDXC card slot for offloading shoots without a dongle. | 7.5/ 10 | 9.6/ 10 Best Fit |
The Studio Networker Gets 10Gb Ethernet as standard plus two USB-A ports for existing gear. | 7.6/ 10 | 9.7/ 10 Best Fit |
The Value Buyer Same Thunderbolt 5 speed and the same 512GB starting storage, for considerably less. | 9.4/ 10 Best Fit | 8.0/ 10 |
Top 10 Core Metrics Analysis
Comparative score breakdown across GPU power, bandwidth, networking, ports and footprint
Mac mini (M5 Pro)
A quarter of the weight, a 155W ceiling and the same Thunderbolt 5 speed, for a lot less desk space and money.
Mac Studio (M5 Max)
Double the GPU cores, 460GB/s of bandwidth, 10Gb Ethernet, an SD slot, USB-A and support for five displays.