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AtlanticFox 143K Views
Sep 23, 2026 2:46 PM

Select Stores: Apple Mac Studio Desktop (2026): M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD

$2,000

$2,500

20% off
(In-Store Only, Limited Stock)at Micro Center
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Deal Details
Select Micro Center Stores have Apple Mac Studio M5 Max Desktop Computer (2026, MHL64LL/A) for $1999.99 (In-Store Only).

Thanks to Community Member AtlanticFox for finding this deal.

Note: Select stores may be available for pickup. Availability may vary by location and is very limited.

Specs:
  • Apple M5 Max 18-Core CPU
  • 36GB Unified RAM
  • 512GB SSD
  • Apple M5 Max Chip 32-Core GPU
  • WiFi 7 (802.11be) + Bluetooth 6.0
  • 480 Watt Power Supply
  • SDXC Card Reader
  • macOS
  • Ports:
    • Front/Top Panel
      • 2x USB 3.2 (Gen 2 Type-C)
    • Back Panel
      • 2x USB 3.2 (Gen 1 Type-A)
      • 4x Thunderbolt 5
      • 1x HDMI 2.1
      • 1x LAN RJ45 (10 GbE)
      • 1x 3.5mm Headphone

Editor's Notes

Written by SubZero5 | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Our research indicates that this deal is $449.01 less (18% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $2,449 at the time of this post.
  • About this store:
    • Details of Micro Center's return policy (here)

Original Post

Written by AtlanticFox
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Select Micro Center Stores have Apple Mac Studio M5 Max Desktop Computer (2026, MHL64LL/A) for $1999.99 (In-Store Only).

Thanks to Community Member AtlanticFox for finding this deal.

Note: Select stores may be available for pickup. Availability may vary by location and is very limited.

Specs:
  • Apple M5 Max 18-Core CPU
  • 36GB Unified RAM
  • 512GB SSD
  • Apple M5 Max Chip 32-Core GPU
  • WiFi 7 (802.11be) + Bluetooth 6.0
  • 480 Watt Power Supply
  • SDXC Card Reader
  • macOS
  • Ports:
    • Front/Top Panel
      • 2x USB 3.2 (Gen 2 Type-C)
    • Back Panel
      • 2x USB 3.2 (Gen 1 Type-A)
      • 4x Thunderbolt 5
      • 1x HDMI 2.1
      • 1x LAN RJ45 (10 GbE)
      • 1x 3.5mm Headphone

Editor's Notes

Written by SubZero5 | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Our research indicates that this deal is $449.01 less (18% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $2,449 at the time of this post.
  • About this store:
    • Details of Micro Center's return policy (here)

Original Post

Written by AtlanticFox

Community Voting

Deal Score
+309
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Why are you downvoting this deal?

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Top Comments

Caleo
6.8KComments
1.2KReputation
This is oddly reasonable. 36GB isn't super amazing but it's enough to run the decent MoE models that are targeted for 24GB VRAM (like gemma4:26b-a4b, qwen3.6:36b-a3b).. if local LLM is what you're looking to do with this.
Go to Comment
AtlanticFox
33Comments
26Reputation
It's $300 more than the Mac Mini M5 Pro. You get vastly better graphics performance, 12 GB extra RAM, better Ethernet. For $300 extra, it's a good deal for a lot of people. If it was the original price of $2.5k, I see your point more.
Go to Comment
ChaoticThrifty
35Comments
18Reputation
Get it while you can. I'm still kicking myself for not jumping on the Mac Mini and Mac Studio deals of winter 2025.
Go to Comment

Community Reviews

This Mac Studio stands out as a compact but powerful desktop for local AI, video work, and heavy productivity, with the M5 Max, 36GB unified memory, and lots of ports drawing the most praise. The 10Gb Ethernet, strong graphics, and lower throttling make it feel like a bigger step up than a Mac mini, and the price matchable $1,999 to $2,000 range looks unusually low for a fresh release. The main knocks are the fixed 36GB memory ceiling and 512GB SSD, which feel tight for larger LLMs and storage-heavy workflows. Availability and price matching have also been inconsistent, so timing and store stock matter.

Common Questions (5)

AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago

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225 Comments

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Sep 26, 2026 9:32 PM
1 Comments
Joined Nov 2016
Brando415Sep 26, 2026 9:32 PM
1 Comments
Quote from dotCOMdiscount View quoted comment :

microcenter regularly sells apple computers at a discount, close to or even better than the education discounts sometimes. not sure how apple allows them to do it, but they do
Best Buy told me they would price match then 3 hours later sent an email that they wouldn't. I spent 35 minutes on the phone with support and they still wouldn't match even though I didn't make the purchase until after they had said it was approved originally and to go ahead
Sep 26, 2026 10:12 PM
213 Comments
Joined Oct 2016
AzureSerenitySep 26, 2026 10:12 PM
213 Comments
I would definitely jump in if they have similar discount for the M5 Ultra models. For local LLM use cases M5 Max is not quiet there yet.
Sep 26, 2026 10:30 PM
56 Comments
Joined Jan 2018
DanielK2854Sep 26, 2026 10:30 PM
56 Comments
Quote from kashhhmoneyyy View quoted comment :
considering this computer just released yesterday, not sure what Micro Center is doing giving 20% off of it.

I was able to price match this at Best Buy by chatting in. Funny enough, I attempted to price match this to the apple education store, I got approved on chat to do that but my chat disconnected cause I was scrolling instagram. I chatted back in, and tried to do that again, but they said they weren't allowed to price match the apple education store, but they could price match micro center for $1999.

At first I thought they maybe confused with an older chip like m4 or m2, but I guess micro center decided to put the computer that released yesterday on sale. Granted it says sold out, so I'm not sure why Best Buy decided to price match it but my order is ready for pickup.
What use cases is this configuration best for? What will you be using for?
Sep 26, 2026 10:32 PM
4 Comments
Joined Sep 2017
knockout0127Sep 26, 2026 10:32 PM
4 Comments
Seems lots of restocks today, just FYI
Sep 26, 2026 11:40 PM
171 Comments
Joined Jul 2013
morockinSep 26, 2026 11:40 PM
171 Comments
Quote from Brando415 View quoted comment :
Best Buy told me they would price match then 3 hours later sent an email that they wouldn't. I spent 35 minutes on the phone with support and they still wouldn't match even though I didn't make the purchase until after they had said it was approved originally and to go ahead
I am stuck in the same boat. I wouldn't be so angry if it didn't seem like a bait and switch under some unexplained "high-demand, limited-availability Apple products" policy that doesn't exist anywhere in the price match terms
Sep 27, 2026 12:08 AM
38 Comments
Joined Apr 2013
DanH3172Sep 27, 2026 12:08 AM
38 Comments
Quote from AtlanticFox View quoted comment :
You can add a SSD via Thunderbolt.
Not at the absurd AI data center surcharge prices for computer parts these days! It's often worse than the so-called Apple Tax for memory.
Sep 27, 2026 12:08 AM
38 Comments
Joined Apr 2013
DanH3172Sep 27, 2026 12:08 AM
38 Comments
Quote from AtlanticFox View quoted comment :
You can add a SSD via Thunderbolt.
Not at the absurd AI data center surcharge prices for computer parts these days! It's often worse than the so-called Apple Tax for memory.

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Sep 27, 2026 1:53 AM
206 Comments
Joined Nov 2005
milkmandanSep 27, 2026 1:53 AM
206 Comments
dang missed it. showed one more in stock at my local MC. but someone on the floor was holding on to it. anyone live close to one with it still in stock willing to make a run ? haha
Sep 27, 2026 3:08 AM
82 Comments
Joined Dec 2020
OrangeChannel8353Sep 27, 2026 3:08 AM
82 Comments
Quote from milkmandan View quoted comment :
dang missed it. showed one more in stock at my local MC. but someone on the floor was holding on to it. anyone live close to one with it still in stock willing to make a run ? haha
keep checking, i've seen mine restock the last few days. microcenter also truned on the add to cart option, so you can reserve it for pickup without having to show up and hope they are still in stock
Pro
Sep 27, 2026 4:15 AM
4.5K Comments
Joined Nov 2015
dshoppr
Pro
Sep 27, 2026 4:15 AM
4.5K Comments
Quote from MaroonGuitar7427 View quoted comment :
do you see trade in option if go thru that link they give you?
I did not check for that.
Pro
Sep 27, 2026 4:25 AM
3.4K Comments
Joined Dec 2012
pmperry
Pro
Sep 27, 2026 4:25 AM
3.4K Comments
The biggest issue is that you can get 32 Gig GPUs that have good inference for about half this price. So if I can get the Intel 32 Gig or AMD 32 Gig card, I'm getting a better option just using my PC. If you don't have a PC this probably makes sense, but if you do, just buy one of those two cards.
2
1
Sep 27, 2026 5:35 AM
239 Comments
Joined Nov 2016
raroraSep 27, 2026 5:35 AM
239 Comments
Quote from tejavictory View quoted comment :
Best buy price matched, can't handle microcenter taxes in store. Thanks
Wym? Do they tax differently?
Pro
Sep 27, 2026 1:24 PM
1.2K Comments
Joined Dec 2014
1gokart
Pro
Sep 27, 2026 1:24 PM
1.2K Comments
Quote from tijj View quoted comment :
The amount of BS people spread is insane. Bought newly released olf week product 18 months ago ..
They were referring to the M4 Max Studio. MC had those on sale for $1699 with a regular price of $1999, then they raised the price to $2499, which is what the new M5 Max Studio is retailing for. I too brought it for $1699 for the M4 Max, now I'm upgrading to the M5 Max for this price of $1999 which should be the regular if it wasn't for all this AI/memory situation.
Sep 27, 2026 1:26 PM
1.1K Comments
Joined Sep 2011
BeerNomadSep 27, 2026 1:26 PM
1.1K Comments
Quote from Brando415 View quoted comment :
Best Buy told me they would price match and I made the purchase then 3 hours later sent an email that they wouldn't. I spent 35 minutes on the phone with support and they still wouldn't match even though I didn't make the purchase until after they had said it was approved originally and to go ahead
I'm just wondering...did best buy tell you theyw ould price match and you made the purchase 3 hours later and they sent you an email saying they wouldn't? I'm also wondering...did you spend 35 minutes on the phone with support and they still wouldn't match even though you didn't make the purchase until after they said it was approved originally and to go ahead?
1

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Sep 27, 2026 1:26 PM
1.1K Comments
Joined Sep 2011
BeerNomadSep 27, 2026 1:26 PM
1.1K Comments
Quote from Brando415 View quoted comment :
Best Buy told me they would price match and I made the purchase then 3 hours later sent an email that they wouldn't. I spent 35 minutes on the phone with support and they still wouldn't match even though I didn't make the purchase until after they had said it was approved originally and to go ahead
I'm just wondering...did best buy tell you they would price match and you made the purchase 3 hours later and they sent you an email saying they wouldn't? I'm also wondering...did you spend 35 minutes on the phone with support and they still wouldn't match even though you didn't make the purchase until after they said it was approved originally and to go ahead?
2

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