GoKawiil
Tech News
Ahead of Wednesday's official launch of Apple's M6 Mac mini, M5 Pro mini, and Mac Studio, GoKawiil staff compiled their favorite peripherals to pair with the new machines. Recommendations include Apple's discounted Studio Display, Samsung's M9 OLED Smart Monitor as an alternative screen, and the Logitech MX Master 4 mouse for those skipping Apple's own input devices.
Apple's Mac Studio lineup ranges from a $2,500 base model with the M5 Max chip up to configurations exceeding $5,899, with a separate M5 Ultra tier starting at $5,500 that supports up to 512GB of unified memory. The M5 Ultra combines two M5 Max chips and can be clustered four-wide over Thunderbolt 5 for even greater performance, aimed at running massive local AI models and handling uncompressed 8K video work.
Music industry veteran Frank Babar, founder of NYC's Embassy Studios, shared his career journey and business philosophy in an interview for How Success Happens. He described signing a 25-year lease for his state-of-the-art recording facility during the pandemic simply because he had the leverage and opportunity to do so, tracing his path from warehouse worker to music mogul.
Apple's official refurbished store is now selling the entry-level 2026 Studio Display with a Tilt-adjustable stand for $1,359, down $240 from its $1,599 list price, though supplies appear limited. The deal arrives alongside other launch-week discounts, including AirPods Pro 3 at $50 off timed to iPhone 18 Pro delivery day, early markdowns on the new Apple Watch Ultra 4 and M6 Mac mini, and a $50 discount on the upcoming 2026 Mac Studio ahead of its release.
A hands-on test of the 256GB M5 Ultra Mac Studio found it capable of running large local AI models, including Qwen3.8-Flash-Next, fast enough to power personal assistant apps like Open Minis and Hermes Agent without cloud costs. The reviewer compared it against the prior M3 Ultra Mac Studio and a gaming PC with an RTX 5090, noting the Mac's smaller size, lower noise, and unified memory architecture as key advantages despite the 5090 retaining a memory-bandwidth edge.
Early reviews of Apple's upcoming M5 Ultra Mac Studio, arriving alongside the M6 Mac mini, highlight its strength for running AI models locally without cloud costs. MacStories' Federico Viticci tested the 256GB configuration for several days, comparing it against the previous M3 Ultra model and a high-end gaming PC, and found it dramatically changed his approach to running local AI agents and assistants.
Tom's Hardware reviewed Apple's new Mac Studio built around the M5 Ultra chip, which now serves as Apple's top desktop after the Mac Pro's discontinuation. The tested configuration, priced at $12,299 with 256GB of unified memory and 4TB storage, outperformed rivals like Nvidia's DGX Spark and AMD Threadripper systems when running AI models locally, while the base M5 Max model starts at $2,499.
Apple has refreshed the Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chip options, replacing last year's M5 tier entirely. The M6 model starts at $899 with up to 32GB RAM, while the M5 Pro version scales up to 64GB RAM and significantly faster GPU bandwidth, positioning the lineup below the $2,499 Mac Studio.
Engadget's review found the Mac Studio M5 Ultra posts some of the highest CPU and GPU benchmark scores among desktop computers, with multi-core performance rivaling AMD's 64-core Threadripper Pro chips and disk speeds nearly double the previous M3 Ultra model. Real-world video editing tests showed dramatic gains too, cutting a 4K export task from over eight minutes to just over one minute compared to a MacBook M3 Pro.
A hands-on review of Bambu Lab's new P2S 3D printer finds it builds on the P1S and A1 with an enclosed chamber and an airflow system that switches between cooling PLA prints and retaining heat for tougher filaments like ASA and ABS. The reviewer notes that despite this design, fumes from ASA prints leaked around the door and seams rather than being fully filtered through the built-in carbon filter, requiring extra ventilation.
Apple has begun shipping the redesigned Mac Studio, keeping its 2022-era chassis but adding M5 Max and M5 Ultra chip options in place of last year's M4 Max and M3 Ultra. The top configuration reviewed—36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 256GB RAM, 4TB storage—runs $12,299, while entry M5 Max and M5 Ultra models start at $2,499 and $5,499 respectively.
Kojima Productions has publicly disputed reports suggesting the studio is struggling financially or facing project cuts. Founder Hideo Kojima acknowledged the broader industry turmoil of closures and cancellations but insisted his upcoming project, Physint, remained stable and unaffected until recent speculation caused concern.