New Mac mini drops support for aftermarket storage upgrades

When Apple released the M4 Mac mini two years ago, teardowns quickly revealed a pleasant surprise: the internal SSD was not soldered to the logic board. This allowed for aftermarket storage upgrades, and we even showed you how to do it. With the new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini updates, however, it appears the storage is soldered to the logic board once again.

New Mac mini drops support for aftermarket storage upgrades. M6 Mac mini review: Apple’s most versatile Mac continues to shine Chance Miller Sep 21 2026.

Apple launches its new Mac mini and Mac Studio models today in 30 countries and regions, including the U.S, and same-day pickup is now available at many Apple Store locations. To order a product with ‌Apple Store‌ pickup, add the product to your bag on Apple.com, proceed to checkout, select the "I’ll pick it up" option, enter your ZIP code, choose an available ‌Apple Store‌ location, and select a pickup date.

A big part of the story is soaring memory and storage prices, but other factors come into play as well. Here’s why Apple’s Mac Studio has become so expensive.

Payment is completed online, and a valid government-issued photo ID and the order number may be required upon pickup. Same-day Apple Store pickup is not available for custom Mac configurations with upgraded specifications ordered through Apple’s online store.

Equipped with a M5 Max or M5 Ultra processor, Apple’s compact but powerful desktop delivers gobs of performance both alone and working in a cluster. In 18 months since the last model, the M5 Max’s base price has increased by $500 to $2,500, while the M5 Ultra starts at $5,500, up $1,500 from the M3 Ultra model.

Our previous coverage: Apple Announces New Mac Mini With M6 and M5 Pro Chips and More Apple Unveils New Mac Studio With M5 Max and M5 Ultra Chips Apple Reveals M6 as First-Ever 2nm Chip Apple Debuts M5 Ultra as Most Powerful Chip Ever Mac mini with M6 starts at $899 ($799 for eligible education customers), while Mac mini with M5 Pro starts at $1,699 ($1,599 for eduction). Mac Studio with M5 Max starts at $2,499 ($2,299 for eduction), and Mac Studio with M5 Ultra starts at $5,499 ($5,099 for education).

Those bumps go well beyond what’s typical for Apple device upgrades. There’s no question that Apple’s Mac Mini is a great desktop computer, offering a surprising amount of power in a shockingly small size.

With Apple Upgrade, eligible customers in the U.S. Can also opt to lease a new Mac with monthly payments and upgrade at the end of their lease.

It tops out at an M5 Pro processor and 64GB of RAM, with 307 GB/s of memory bandwidth. That’s enough for many demanding situations, but AI and content creation power users may need more.

More information can be found on the Apple website. Related Roundups: Mac Studio, Mac mini Buyer’s Guide: Mac Studio (Buy Now), Mac Mini (Buy Now) Related Forums: Mac Studio, Mac mini This article, " New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Now Available for Same-Day Pickup at Apple Stores " first appeared on com Discuss this article in our forums.

New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Now Available for Same-Day Pickup at Apple Stores.