Apple’s Mac Studio M5 Ultra costs $10,799 with 256GB of memory. Choosing the 512GB configuration adds $11,500, bringing the price to $22,299. By comparison, two 256GB systems cost $21,598—$701 less than a single 512GB model.
Buying two machines also provides two separate processing systems, each with its own CPU, GPU and storage. The M5 Ultra configuration listed includes a 36-core CPU, an 80-core GPU and a 32-core Neural Engine. The price difference has prompted questions about the value of paying for the memory upgrade rather than buying a second computer.
The 512GB option may still suit workloads that need access to a large, unified pool of memory in one machine. Two systems can handle separate tasks, but their memory does not combine into a shared 512GB pool. Connecting them over Thunderbolt 5 can support data transfers between computers, but does not change that limitation.
One possible reason for the upgrade cost is the memory hardware. The technical explanation cited in the comparison says the 256GB configuration uses 4GB LPDDR5X chips, while the 512GB version uses 8GB components. Apple has not provided an official explanation for the $11,500 price difference, and the available information does not include manufacturing costs.
Apple also offers 96GB and 256GB memory configurations, alongside the 512GB option. The choice between one high-memory system and two smaller machines depends on whether a workload needs a single large memory pool or can be divided between separate computers.
Sources: TechRadar.