Apple launches M5 series hardware focused on AI workloads

Apple has introduced new hardware featuring the M5 chip architecture, specifically designed to handle intensive on-device artificial intelligence (AI) tasks. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio utilizes a quad-die design, combining two M5 Max chips to provide up to 80 graphics processor cores and over 1.2TB/s of memory bandwidth, which is critical for running large language models locally.

Other hardware updates include the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, which features an 18-core CPU and a Neural Engine with integrated accelerators in each GPU core for enhanced AI processing. The iPad Pro with M5 also offers increased memory capacities and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity via the Apple N1 chip. While these professional-grade machines target high-end workflows like 3D rendering and video editing, consumer-grade models like the M4 iPad Pro remain viable for standard daily use.

Market availability for these high-performance configurations has seen significant demand, particularly for users running open-weight AI models, occasionally leading to supply constraints.