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Apple · Local AI machine

Apple Mac mini (M6, 24 GB)

Apple machine: Apple M6 (12-core CPU, 12-core GPU), 24 GB memory, 18 GB for the GPU, 170 GB/s memory speed.

79.1Score

  • #42 of 67 ranked
  • #11 of 11 Apple machines

Why this score

The score adds up these parts. Each part has a weight. A part counts as the average of its sources, pulled toward 80 when there are few sources.

  1. AI power

    50% weightcounts as 77.5

    Average of 2 sources: 76.2

  2. Experts

    30% weightcounts as 81.4

    Average of 4 sources: 81.8

  3. Users

    20% weightcounts as 80.0

    No sources found yet. No data yet. This part counts as 80.

Good: 4 reviews and buyer ratings.

80 is the field average. A part counts as 80 + (average − 80) × N ÷ (N + 1), where N is its number of sources. One source counts half of the gap from 80. No sources count as 80.

Price

€1269 at Apple Store Österreich · Austrian shop

Apple AT configure-to-order price, M6 12-core CPU / 12-core GPU, 24 GB, 256 GB SSD, 2.5 GbE (SKU starts Z1UA). The preconfigured 24 GB / 512 GB model (MHQM4ZD/A) is EUR 1,489 at Apple AT. Geizhals Austria lowest offers read: 24 GB / 256 GB EUR 1,207.13 (computeruniverse.at and Cyberport.at, both pre-order, 'voraussichtlich verfuegbar ab 22.10.2026', EUR 9.99 shipping; Cyberport stores pickup only); 24 GB / 512 GB EUR 1,394.28 (23 offers); 24 GB / 256 GB with 10 GbE EUR 1,311.44; 24 GB / 512 GB with 10 GbE EUR 1,520.09 (over the cap).

Prices checked 9 Oct 2026.

Specs

Chip
Apple M6 (12-core CPU, 12-core GPU)
CPU
12 cores (2 Super + 4 Performance + 6 Efficiency)
Memory
24 GB
GPU memory
18 GBmacOS default Metal GPU memory cap of about 75% of unified memory (community-documented in devnote-override-macos-metal-vram-cap; Apple publishes no share). 75% x 24 GB = 18 GB. That page lists only 32, 64 and 128 GB machines, so the real default on 24 GB may be slightly under 18 GB. Raising the cap with sysctl iogpu.wired_limit_mb works but is unsupported by Apple, so it is not applied.
Memory speed
170 GB/s
FP16 TFLOPS
—
NPU
—
OS
macOS
Software
MLX
Ethernet
2.5 Gbit/s
Thunderbolt / USB4
TB4
QSFP port
No
Idle power
2.4 W
Load power
74 W
Noise
42 dB(A)
Volume
0.8 L
Weight
0.7 kg
SSD
256 GB
Release
2026-09

Measured

No measured results found yet.

Notes

The cheapest way into a 32 GB Apple box, but only 170 GB/s and a 12-core GPU, so the default GPU share (about 24 GB on 32 GB, 18 GB on 24 GB) and bandwidth confine it to small and mid-size models; no LLM benchmark was found. Near-silent and very frugal (about 2 W idle), with Thunderbolt 4 only.

Power: Notebookcheck measured about 2-2.4 W idle and a 74 W peak settling near 55 W on a 24 GB / 512 GB unit; Apple's own page says 4 W idle and 70 W max (16 GB / 256 GB). Notebookcheck's 42 dB(A) is a peak under heavy CPU load, distance not stated in the excerpt read; Apple lists 5 dBA idle. Notebookcheck's 88/100 was read from a search-result summary and the Geizhals review table; the Tom's Hardware, Engadget and PCMag UK scores were read via the Geizhals review table. At the default GPU share the 32 GB model leaves about 24 GB for the GPU and the 24 GB model about 18 GB; both are in the index through the cheap tier (16 GB or more of GPU memory, up to EUR 1,500). Prices are Apple AT list prices: the lower Geizhals offers in each price note were not linked in the research, and Geizhals could not be read again.

More reading:notebookcheck.netcomputerbase.detomsguide.competapixel.comgizmodo.comithinkdiff.com

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