Apple Launches M6 Chip in MacBook Pro and iMac

Apple’s sixth-generation M-series processors are available in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac starting early next month. The base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip is offered in space black or silver colors. The M6 chip features a refreshed CPU with 12 CPU cores and 12 GPU cores. It also includes a dual 16-core Neural Engine designed for Apple Intelligence features. The M6 MacBook Pro comes standard with 16 GB of unified memory providing 153 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory for the M6 MacBook Pro can be upgraded to 24 GB or 32 GB with increased bandwidth.

Apple claims the M6 delivers up to 30 percent higher performance in Xcode compared to a similarly equipped M5 MacBook Pro. The M6 GPU delivers 1.3x faster prompt processing and rendering in Blender compared to the M5. The M6 MacBook Pro includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity. The MacBook Pro with the M6 chip has only one option featuring a 12-core GPU and CPU, capping at 32GB of RAM and 4TB of storage.

The iMac M6 chip is split into two variants. One variant has two Thunderbolt ports with a 10-core CPU and GPU, maxing out at 24 GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The other variant has four Thunderbolt ports with a 12-core CPU and GPU, maxing out at 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Certain iMac models with the M6 chip gain 2.5 Gbps Ethernet connectivity. Apple skipped the M5 chip for the iMac, going directly from the M4 to the M6.

The M6 MacBook Pro and iMac are available for preorder starting the day before availability begins on Friday, Nov. 6.