The M5 Ultra Mac Studio has completed initial benchmark evaluations, demonstrating significant performance gains in processing, rendering, and graphics tasks. Testing conducted on the top-tier desktop computer showed notable speed improvements over prior hardware generations, according to reporting by The Verge.
Benchmark Results and Core Performance
The tested configuration included a 36-core CPU, an 80-core GPU, 256GB of unified memory, and 4TB of solid-state storage. In synthetic CPU benchmarks, the hardware recorded a single-core score of 4,310 and a multi-core score of 37,870 in Geekbench 6. During multi-core evaluation, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio reached 52,441 points in Geekbench 7, marking a 30 percent increase over the previous generation M3 Ultra configuration in equivalent tests.
Storage performance showed sustained SSD read speeds of 14,867 MB/s and write speeds reaching 18,782 MB/s. These metrics represent more than double the transfer rates observed on older desktop setups, supporting heavy computers & laptops workflows.
Graphics Rendering and Video Export Speeds
Graphics performance delivered notable gains across several professional rendering engines. In the Cinebench 2026 GPU benchmark, the computer scored 133,119 points, which is 63 percent higher than the M3 Ultra result. Geekbench 7 OpenCL testing showed a 30 percent uplift, achieving 159,918 points.
In video rendering, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio completed a 4K export in 40 seconds within Premiere Pro, producing a 1.7GB file. Furthermore, the Blender classroom test finished in 11 seconds, compared to 15 seconds on the previous generation, benefiting workflows in gaming & entertainment visual design.
Hardware Configurations and Pricing
Apple retained the compact desktop form factor originally introduced in 2022, featuring front and rear connectivity ports and an integrated SD card slot. The base model with an M5 Max chip starts at $2,499, equipped with an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.
Meanwhile, the base M5 Ultra configuration begins at $5,499, offering a 30-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 96GB of memory, and 1TB of storage. The top-tier unit reviewed carries a retail price of $12,299.
Target Workloads for M5 Ultra Mac Studio
The system is specifically designed for specialized professional sectors, including 3D visual effects production and advanced artificial intelligence development. While standard creative tasks do not require this level of compute capacity, large-scale computational projects benefit directly from the expanded memory and high core counts.
