Apple takes powerful M6 chip to the MacBook Pro, iMac
6th-gen M-series silicon promises more cores, faster memory, a fatter NPU, and better connectivity, now in more form factors
Apple has introduced the latest M6 chip to its MacBook Pro and iMac families, marking the beginning of the wait for users eager to upgrade their Mac. The 6th-generation M-series processors are now making their way to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac starting early next month. The base-model MacBook Pro remains largely the same as its predecessor from last year, offering options in "space black" or silver.
Most enhancements come from the silicon itself, specifically the M6 chip, which was unveiled alongside a refreshed Mac mini in August. The M6 chip is built on TSMC's 2nm process technology and boasts a refreshed CPU with 12 CPU cores and 12 GPU cores, complemented by a dual 16-core Neural Engine, or NPU. This results in improved performance for Apple Intelligence features in macOS Golden Gate.
The M6 MacBook Pro starts with 16 GB of unified memory, which can be expanded up to 24 GB or 32 GB, offering up to 170 GB/s of bandwidth. Compared to the older M5 chip, which is still available in the MacBook Air, Apple claims significant performance gains with the M6. In Xcode, Apple reports up to 30% higher performance, while the GPU sees similar improvements in Blender ray tracing, local AI inference, and image processing.
Despite the increased performance, Apple maintains the same 24-hour battery life as the M5 model. Pricing for the MacBook Pro remains unchanged, with a 16 GB model and 1 TB of storage priced at $1,999. The M6 chip also brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity to the 14-inch MacBook Pro. For the iMac, the performance jump is even more significant due to the iMac never having received the M5 chip before.
Apple claims 1.5x faster performance in productivity apps like Excel, 2x faster graphics performance, and 5x faster local AI processing. Additional connectivity improvements for the iMac include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet on certain models. Similarly, pricing for the iMac remains unchanged, with models starting at $1,499.
Both the M6 MacBook Pro and iMac are available for pre-order starting tomorrow, with availability beginning Friday, November 6.
Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
