Apple’s 512GB Mac Studio Costs $22,299: What It Means for Local AI
Apple has opened orders for the Mac Studio with 512GB of unified memory, two months after the M5 Ultra model launched without it. The memory upgrade alone costs $15,500, a useful reminder of what large local AI models cost to run at home.
In short
The 512GB Mac Studio starts at $22,299 with the top M5 Ultra and a 1TB SSD, and ships in late November or early December. That is three times the price of AMD’s 192GB Ryzen AI Halo. For most home users, a 128GB mini PC remains the realistic ceiling for local AI.
What Apple released
The 512GB memory option for the M5 Ultra Mac Studio, promised in August and orderable since October 28.
Apple’s August announcement said: “Mac Studio with 512GB of unified memory is coming in late October.” The option requires the top M5 Ultra (36-core CPU, 80-core GPU). According to BigGo Finance, “the upgrade costs $15,500” over the 96GB configuration, which starts at $6,799. Appleosophy reports that the new configuration “doesn’t ship for another 7-8 weeks.”
| Machine | Memory | Starting price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Studio, M5 Ultra | 512GB | $22,299 | Apple, Oct 28 |
| AMD Ryzen AI Halo (Max+ PRO 495) | 192GB | $7,299 | AMD, Oct 13 |
| Mac Studio, M5 Ultra (top chip) | 96GB | $6,799 | Apple |
Why the memory costs so much
The upgrade works out to about $37 per extra gigabyte, in a year when memory prices have climbed across the market.
That figure is our own arithmetic: $15,500 for 416GB on top of the 96GB base. For local AI, memory capacity decides which models fit at all; speed comes second. HotHardware reports that AMD’s 192GB Halo “carries an MSRP starting at $7,299,” with up to 160GB usable as graphics memory. Our explainer on the 2026 RAM crisis covers why memory-heavy machines rose the most.
What it means for buyers
Only buy 512GB if you already know you need the largest open models locally; for chat assistants and coding models, 128GB mini PCs cost a fraction of the price.
My daily PC is a GMKtec K8 Plus with a Ryzen 7 8845HS and Radeon 780M. I tried local AI on it and found it too weak, so I understand the pull toward more memory. But the step from 128GB to 512GB is a professional purchase, not a home upgrade, and the long shipping wait means there is no reason to rush. Our guide to the best mini PCs for local AI compares 128GB Strix Halo machines, and our analysis of AMD’s 192GB Ryzen AI Halo covers the middle tier. If you prefer macOS and smaller models, Apple’s standard Mac Studio with M5 Max starts at $2,499 and takes up to 128GB, the same tier as those Strix Halo machines. Current prices are on our mini PC deals page.
Sources
- Apple Newsroom, Apple introduces new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra (Aug 25, 2026)
- Appleosophy, Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM now available; starts at $22,299 (Oct 28, 2026)
- BigGo Finance, Mac Studio memory maxes out at 512GB, option priced at $15,500 (Oct 28, 2026)
- Notebookcheck, New Apple Mac Studio starts with 512 GB RAM for over $22k (Oct 28, 2026)
- HotHardware, AMD Ryzen AI Halo now packs Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 and 192GB memory (Oct 13, 2026)