Computer Hardware Desktop
Rank 06
Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 2026)
The most powerful tiny desktop: 25–40% faster than the M4 Pro mini, but the 2026 price rise makes it a worse value.
Photograph: Mac mini (2024, identical enclosure) by Seasider53, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped, resized
Why it is here
Shipped 2026-09-22. Macworld measured Geekbench 7 multi +38%, Cinebench 2026 multi +40% and HandBrake CPU encodes 26% faster than the M4 Pro. The Verge measured Geekbench 6 4,294/29,104, PugetBench Premiere 105,041 and Resolve 85,624, with SSD speeds of 12.2/15.4 GB/s. Both criticize the price ($1,699 for a cut-down 15-core/16-core chip with 24 GB).
Who it is for
macOS developers, editors and home-lab users who want Pro-class performance, Thunderbolt 5 and optional 10 GbE in a 0.82 L box. Buyers on a budget should consider the base M6 mini ($899).
Sources
- Mac mini (M5 Pro) review: Killer performance at a lethal priceFull 18c/20c, 48 GB, 1 TB, 10 GbE unit ($2,899): Geekbench 7 single +12% / multi +38% vs M4 Pro; Cinebench 2026 multi +40%; HandBrake CPU encode 26% faster; costs 25–50% more for 25–30% more speed.
- Apple M6 / M5 Pro Mac Mini review: Still mighty, just not as cheapM5 Pro ($2,899 unit): Geekbench 6 4,294/29,104; Cinebench 2026 715/8,059; PugetBench Photoshop 17,726, Premiere 105,041, Resolve 85,624; SSD 12,218/15,421 MB/s. Weak speakers.
