Mac Studio, Mac mini Buyers Are Losing Options Amid AI Demand
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Mac Studio, Mac mini Buyers Are Losing Options Amid AI Demand
"Apple has quietly removed several high-end RAM configurations from the Mac Studio and Mac mini. According to a MacRumors report, Apple has removed several larger memory options across both desktop systems. The changes, which appeared on Apple's online store this week, mean buyers now have fewer upgrade options, and in some cases, higher starting prices."
"The biggest cut affects the M3 Ultra Mac Studio. Customers can no longer configure the machine with 256GB of unified memory. Instead, the model is now capped at 96GB. The M4 Max Mac Studio has also reportedly lost its 128GB memory option. Meanwhile, the M4 Pro Mac mini no longer offers a 64GB RAM configuration. Buyers are now limited to 24GB or 48GB options."
"Reports say some Mac Studio models are now showing delivery estimates of 9 to 10 weeks, while certain Mac mini configurations could take 10 to 12 weeks to arrive. The shortages are beginning to spread beyond desktop Macs as well. Higher-memory versions of Apple's MacBook lineup are also reportedly seeing longer shipping delays."
"The memory squeeze appears tied to the growing boom in AI computing. Apple's unified memory architecture has become increasingly popular among developers running local AI models and agentic AI software directly on Macs. That demand, combined with a wider global shortage of memory chips used in AI servers, has reportedly strained supply chains across the tech industry."
Apple removed multiple high-memory configurations from the Mac Studio and Mac mini, limiting buyers’ upgrade choices. The M3 Ultra Mac Studio no longer supports 256GB unified memory and is capped at 96GB, while the M4 Max Mac Studio reportedly lost a 128GB option. The M4 Pro Mac mini no longer offers 64GB unified memory, leaving 24GB or 48GB options. The standard M4 Mac mini no longer offers 32GB unified memory, leaving 16GB and 24GB variants. Delivery estimates have lengthened, with some Mac Studio models taking 9 to 10 weeks and some Mac mini configurations taking 10 to 12 weeks. Higher-memory MacBook versions are also experiencing longer delays. Unified memory demand for local AI models and a global shortage of memory chips used in AI servers are contributing to supply strain.
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