# Apple Mac Studio (2026, M5 Ultra) Review: Quad-Die Power for Pro Video and AI Workflows

Canonical page: https://savlume.com/items/qj1oe0mx4vyi9yroui8d11ti9
Publisher: Savlume
Published on Savlume: 2026-09-21T13:01:09.000Z
Content updated: 2026-10-13T20:11:14.283Z
Source publication time: 2026-09-21T13:01:09.000Z
Offer status: Unverified

PCMag reviewed the 2026 Apple Mac Studio featuring the M5 Ultra processor, awarding it an Editors’ Choice rating for professional creative and local AI workflows. The reviewer praised its quad-die processing architecture, up to 1.2TB/s unified memory bandwidth, quiet cooling, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. However, the publication highlighted steep pricing—reaching $12,299 as tested—alongside non-upgradable soldered hardware, lack of formal ISV certifications, and no included peripherals. PCMag recommends the upgrade primarily for professionals on M1 or M2 systems with demanding memory or AI workloads.

## Media review

PCMag awards the Mac Studio (2026, M5 Ultra) Editors’ Choice, citing its strong processing performance and capabilities for professional creative work and local AI, while emphasizing its high price and locked-down design.

Attribution: PCMag Reviews · Brian Westover
AI-assisted summary of source text, not a Savlume hands-on test.

- Source-reported strength: PCMag reports the tested configuration led its Cinebench and Geekbench Pro multi-core comparisons.
- Source-reported strength: The review reports strong video transcoding performance and an 18,000-point DaVinci Resolve PugetBench result.
- Source-reported strength: The review describes the system as whisper-quiet under demanding workloads.
- Source-reported limitation: The tested configuration costs $12,299 according to the article.
- Source-reported limitation: Internal memory and silicon are not user-upgradable, and SSD replacement is restricted.
- Source-reported limitation: The review notes the lack of formal ISV certification may be a concern for some engineering or medical applications.

### What configuration did PCMag test?

A 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 256GB of unified memory, and 4TB of storage.

### Can owners upgrade the internal memory or silicon?

The review says the memory is soldered and the silicon is non-upgradable.

### What price does the article report for the tested system?

PCMag reports $12,299.
## Evidence and sources

Source report only. Merchant price, availability, seller, and conditions have not been independently confirmed.
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PCMag Reviews: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-mac-studio-2026-m5-ultra

Purchase destination: https://www.bestbuy.com/product/mac-studio-apple-m5-ultra-chip-with-96gb-memory-and-1tb-ssd-silver/JJGCQYKJYC

AI-assisted summary of cited source material. Not a hands-on review. Prices and availability can change.