Review of Mac Studio (M5 Ultra) with 256 GB of RAM: a dream machine to run local AI agents and a massive leap over M3 Ultra for prompt processing and generation (Federico Viticci/MacStories)
For the past few days, I've been testing the (currently) top-of-the-line M5 Ultra Mac Studio with 256 GB of RAM.
The Mac Studio with an M5 Ultra chip and 256 GB of RAM has been reviewed by several outlets. According to Federico Viticci of MacStories, this machine is a "dream machine" for running local AI agents, offering great performance without additional cloud costs. It can handle personal assistants powered by local models, making it a suitable option for those who want to use AI models without relying on the cloud.
The M5 Ultra chip in the Mac Studio is reportedly on par with high-performance graphics cards, such as the Nvidia RTX 5080, according to early benchmarks. The Verge notes that the review unit sent to them had a 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 256GB of RAM, and 4TB of storage, costing $12,299. This machine is geared towards AI developers and demanding 3D visual effects houses.
The Mac Studio's performance is also highlighted by Tom's Guide, which calls it the most powerful computer they've ever reviewed. It features a compact design, runs cool and quiet, and packs multiple ports, including six Thunderbolt 5 ports. However, its high price may make it less accessible to those who don't need its extreme power.
Brief written by urgent.news from Techmeme, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, The Verge, Tom's Guide — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
