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1gokart 44.9K Views
Oct 23, 2026 8:00 AM

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

$2,000

$2,500

20% off
+ Free Pickupat Micro Center
Visit Micro Center
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Deal Details
Micro Center has Apple Mac Studio M5 Max Desktop Computer (2026, MHL64LL/A) for $1999.99. Free store pickup is available where stock permits.

Thanks to Community Member 1gokart for finding this deal.

Note: Availability may vary by location.

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 johnny_miller | Staff
  • Our research indicates this offer is $299.01 lower (13% savings) than the next best price from a reputable merchant at the time of this post.
  • This price matches +304 Frontpage Deal from last month.

Original Post

Written by 1gokart
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Micro Center has Apple Mac Studio M5 Max Desktop Computer (2026, MHL64LL/A) for $1999.99. Free store pickup is available where stock permits.

Thanks to Community Member 1gokart for finding this deal.

Note: Availability may vary by location.

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 johnny_miller | Staff
  • Our research indicates this offer is $299.01 lower (13% savings) than the next best price from a reputable merchant at the time of this post.
  • This price matches +304 Frontpage Deal from last month.

Original Post

Written by 1gokart

Community Voting

Deal Score
+105
Good Deal
Bad Deal
Visit Micro Center

Top Comments

milkmandan
208Comments
26Reputation
this frontpage deal is back. should be upvoted again. also 48GB/1TB version is $400 off for $2999. not as good of a deal as the base ($500 off) but if you need the more ram, storage, gpu cores and the increased Memory bandwidth, its a solid deal

with large restocks at local MC, i would imagine this might be nearing the last time this might be discounted like this until next iteration
Go to Comment
M5Rahul
3.1KComments
451Reputation
Good deal , but that base storage with a Max chip is outright insulting!
Go to Comment

Community Reviews

The Mac Studio M5 Max is a compact desktop that feels very fast for creative work and local AI, with Thunderbolt 5, 10GbE, Wi‑Fi 7, and a replaceable SSD. The 36GB and 512GB base configuration is the main weak point, since coding, Xcode, photo libraries, and local models can run into memory pressure or storage limits. The 48GB and 1TB version is viewed as the better value, while heavier AI workflows keep pushing the conversation toward 64GB, 96GB, or more. It is a strong machine, but the base memory and storage make the right configuration matter a lot.

Common Questions (4)

  • For serious local LLM work, 36GB is too tight and 48GB is still a bottleneck unless models are heavily quantized. For Xcode and simulator-heavy development, 36GB can already push memory pressure into orange and cause swapping, so 64GB or more is the safer target.

    M5RahulSmartMeal986AquaMagic8941thesefishtacos

  • The 36GB/512GB base config is a strong deal, but several buyers found the RAM and storage limiting for coding, local models, and large photo libraries. If you need headroom, the 48GB/1TB version is a better step up, and 64GB+ is the more comfortable choice for heavier workflows.

    milkmandannycyniknycynikpaolo80

  • The Mac Studio M5 Max's SSD is reportedly replaceable, unlike the 2026 Mac mini models whose SSDs are soldered to the board. That makes the Studio the better choice if you want a path to future storage expansion, though external Thunderbolt NVMe is still a practical stopgap.

    whodiinithesefishtacosnycynik

  • Best Buy price matching has been completed successfully online for this deal, while an in-store attempt was refused. Apple Store will not price match, so Best Buy is the relevant retailer to try.

    2332755dragoNavdvdrdiscs

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

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72 Comments

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Oct 27, 2026 10:46 AM
537 Comments
Joined Sep 2003
ordmasterOct 27, 2026 10:46 AM
537 Comments
Now I see what they did here. Apple releases a phone that costs $2000 that lasts hours before self cracking foldable screen to make this look reasonable price compare to that.
2
2
Oct 27, 2026 1:09 PM
7 Comments
Joined Sep 2014
korkus2000Oct 27, 2026 1:09 PM
7 Comments
Quote from nycynik View quoted comment :
it is a good deal, and I love that I can run local models. I just wish I had purchased more ram and disk space, since they are not upgradable.
You should look into chaining another one using thunderbolt 5. It allows you to keep your sunk cost without taking the hit when you have to sell at a loss. Get another studio. I believe you can also get a mac mini with an m5 pro, m6 doesn't have thunderbolt 5, but the speed drops to the slower chained computer. I believe from what I have seen it will use the ram on your main computer and only spill over to the next computer as needed. I haven't set one up yet, but its worth looking into.
1
Oct 28, 2026 1:26 PM
230 Comments
Joined Jan 2006
load97Oct 28, 2026 1:26 PM
230 Comments
Quote from korkus2000 View quoted comment :
You should look into chaining another one using thunderbolt 5. It allows you to keep your sunk cost without taking the hit when you have to sell at a loss. Get another studio. I believe you can also get a mac mini with an m5 pro, m6 doesn't have thunderbolt 5, but the speed drops to the slower chained computer. I believe from what I have seen it will use the ram on your main computer and only spill over to the next computer as needed. I haven't set one up yet, but its worth looking into.
Really? That's cool.
Oct 29, 2026 5:51 AM
237 Comments
Joined Jun 2014
thesefishtacosOct 29, 2026 5:51 AM
237 Comments
Just picked one up today finally. Was waiting for Apple's slate of product announcements for Mac. So now those are probably done for the year, and honestly a touch screen MacBook is uninteresting to me. Immediately after the news broke of it, I drove over to Microcenter and picked up this machine. 512gb isn't great, but I'll look for an external NVME for it. All I really need it for is my photos library. Everything else more than fits on device.

Any recommendations for good TB4/TB5 NVMe enclosures and SSDs?
Oct 29, 2026 3:52 PM
8 Comments
Joined Apr 2015
kkllasdfghOct 29, 2026 3:52 PM
8 Comments
it is ended
Pro
Oct 29, 2026 3:53 PM
7.9K Comments
Joined Sep 2014
CTRL-ALT-DEALS
Pro
Oct 29, 2026 3:53 PM
7.9K Comments
Quote from ordmaster View quoted comment :
Now I see what they did here. Apple releases a phone that costs $2000 that lasts hours before self cracking foldable screen to make this look reasonable price compare to that.
Not to mention 500GB on a $2k+ desktop in 2026 is almost as ludicrous as 8GB Ram on the $1k M3 base model MacBook Air 2 years ago. A pity they cheaped out on storage, because this is a very capable device otherwise. Apple wants as many as possible paying monthly for cloud, after all.

Apple has always pushed the limits of planned obsolescence.

*Queue the army of unpaid corporate propaganda personnel defending Apple's anti consumer practices.*

Just watch how many TD this gets 🤣
Oct 29, 2026 5:10 PM
735 Comments
Joined Feb 2010
cooidude0Oct 29, 2026 5:10 PM
735 Comments
Quote from korkus2000 View quoted comment :
You should look into chaining another one using thunderbolt 5. It allows you to keep your sunk cost without taking the hit when you have to sell at a loss. Get another studio. I believe you can also get a mac mini with an m5 pro, m6 doesn't have thunderbolt 5, but the speed drops to the slower chained computer. I believe from what I have seen it will use the ram on your main computer and only spill over to the next computer as needed. I haven't set one up yet, but its worth looking into.
Thanks for posting this, I see there's a thing called MLX and EXO that allows daisy chaining multiple Mac's to share resources.

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Oct 30, 2026 2:34 AM
12 Comments
Joined Aug 2023
AquaMagic8941Oct 30, 2026 2:34 AM
12 Comments
Awesome deal but 36GB wasn't enough for my work. Had to return and get 64GB
Oct 30, 2026 2:37 AM
302 Comments
Joined Dec 2010
b67Oct 30, 2026 2:37 AM
302 Comments
Quote from paolo80 View quoted comment :
Send like a good deal to me, why the downvote?
Tiny ssd
Oct 30, 2026 2:20 PM
486 Comments
Joined Nov 2017
lass.richardOct 30, 2026 2:20 PM
486 Comments
Damn, back up to $2199
Oct 30, 2026 8:57 PM
237 Comments
Joined Jun 2014
thesefishtacosOct 30, 2026 8:57 PM
237 Comments
Quote from AquaMagic8941 View quoted comment :
Awesome deal but 36GB wasn't enough for my work. Had to return and get 64GB
I picked one up and I am getting nervous starting to agree. Might return or exchange it.

The 512GB storage isn't an issue for me, it's the RAM. I think I'll only consider 64GB for RAM in future because I have 1 simulator open in Xcode and my memory pressure is orange, and I'm swapping.

I never once swapped on my old 64gb machine that I just replaced Frown
Nov 7, 2026 7:50 AM
1.6K Comments
Joined Jun 2008
DavNeilNov 7, 2026 7:50 AM
1.6K Comments
Quote from RamesesThe2nd View quoted comment :
Was able to reserve a 128 GB variant and will go pick it up later today or tomorrow. Never purchased a $5000 computer before so still feeling a bit weird this kind of money on a computer, but I tried the 36 GB variant and it was clear that that machine wouldn't be able to handle any serious local LLM work.
In 1995-1996, my friend got his first PC for $3770 and if you factor in inflation that is way more and I got mine for $3300. Appetite for innovation has gone down actually.

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