Apple M6 vs M5 Ultra: Which Apple Silicon Class Fits Your Workload?
Apple M6 targets compact everyday desktops with a 12-core CPU, while M5 Ultra scales to 36 CPU cores, 512 GB of unified memory, and 1.2 TB/s of bandwidth.
Key facts
Production status: Production
Release date: 2026-08-25
Cores / Threads: 12 / 12
Base clock: -
Turbo clock: -
TDP: -
Process: 2 nm
Codename: M6
Generation: Apple Silicon
All available specs
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| CPU core layout | 12-core CPU |
| GPU cores | 12 |
| Neural Engine | Dual 16-core |
| Unified memory bandwidth | Up to 170 GB/s |
| Process technology | 2 nm |
| Official source date | 2026-08-25 |
| Official source | Apple introduces M6 and M5 Ultra — https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/08/apple-introduces-m6-and-m5-ultra-for-a-big-leap-in-performance-and-ai-compute/ |
Related CPU Articles
Context and buying-era explainers that mention Apple M6 12 Core and link it to adjacent platforms.
CPU Catalog Release Notes: September 2026 Refresh
CPU Wiki adds Apple M6, Apple M5 Ultra, Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-2390, and Dragonwing IQ-2390 from official vendor sources.