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M5 vs M6: M6 is 13% faster on CPU and 49% on GPU
Cheapest config of each: M5 MacBook Air 13″ at $1099 vs M6 Mac mini at $899. The M6 config has 256 GB storage (vs 512 GB).
Scores are relative: 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100, so 200 is about twice as fast. How we score
Verdict
- Want a desktop
- Mac mini with M6. It is the cheapest way into the newest chip and beats every base M5 Mac on both CPU and GPU.
- Need a laptop
- M6 has only shipped in the Mac mini so far. The M5 MacBook Air or 14″ MacBook Pro is the current choice.
- Already own an M5
- Keep it. The CPU step is small; the GPU gain matters only for graphics-heavy work.
- Need more CPU than M6
- Mac mini with M5 Pro: its 15–18 CPU cores score 300–311 vs 230 for M6.
Gain by chip tier
Top tested chip of each tier on both sides.
Configurations to compare
| Model | Configuration | CPU | GPU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13″ (2026) | M5 (10-CPU/8-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 203 | 220 | $1099 |
| MacBook Pro 14″ (2025) | M5 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 203 | 253 | $1599 |
| Mac mini (2026) | M6 (12-CPU/12-GPU), 16GB, 256GB | 230 | 327 | $899 |
| Mac mini (2026) | M6 (12-CPU/12-GPU), 24GB, 512GB | 230 | 327 | $1299 |
| Mac mini (2026) | M5 Pro (15-CPU/16-GPU), 24GB, 512GB | 300 | 411 | $1699 |
FAQ
How much faster is M6 than M5?
Comparing the cheapest configs of each, M6 is about 13% faster on CPU and 49% faster on GPU (CPU 230 vs 203, GPU 327 vs 220).
Is the M6 Mac mini faster than the M5 Pro Mac mini?
No. M5 Pro leads on CPU (300–311 vs 230) and on GPU (411–455 vs 327). M6 wins on price.
Should I wait for an M6 MacBook?
Only if graphics performance matters most: M6 brings a much bigger GPU gain than CPU gain. For everyday work an M5 laptop is already about twice as fast as the M1 Air.
What do the scores mean?
Every Mac is scored against the 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100. A score of 200 means about twice as fast. These are MacDiff's own relative scores, not Geekbench points.