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The Best Mac Desktop to Buy (2026): Mac Mini, Mac Studio, or iMac?

近年来，MacBook 抢走了 Mac 台式机的大部分风头。随着移动性能和电池续航能力的显著提升，购买一台将你束缚在办公室的台式机的理由越来越少了。

MacBooks have taken most of the spotlight away from Mac desktops in recent years. Now that mobile performance and battery life have improved so much, there’s less of a reason to buy a desktop that chains you to your office.

但 Mac 台式机正在复苏。Mac Mini 和 Mac Studio 终于更新了全新的芯片，并重新聚焦于本地 AI 的运行。但你应该买哪一款呢？iMac 在当今又处于什么位置？我测试 Mac 已经超过十年，并且测试过所有这些 Mac 台式机，所以我可以为你推荐最适合你的产品。

But Mac desktops are getting a resurgence. The Mac Mini and Mac Studio were finally refreshed with brand-new chips and a newfound focus on running local AI. But which one should you buy? And where does the iMac land these days? I’ve been testing Macs for over a decade and have tested all these Mac desktops, so I can recommend what’s right for you.

The Best for Everyone: Mac Mini

苹果这款讨人喜欢的迷你电脑刚刚升级了 M6 芯片，这在几个方面意义重大。在更新之前，这些小巧的电脑曾连续数月缺货，这要归功于 AI 的需求。

Apple’s lovable mini PC was just upgraded with the M6 chip, and it’s a big deal on a couple of fronts. Before the refresh, these little computers were sold out for months, and it has AI to thank.

Mac Mini 不再是过去那种超便宜的迷你电脑了。它的价格比过去高出 300 美元，但基础型号现在的规格更高，并专注于运行本地 AI。如果你想要一台真正经济实惠、偶尔使用的小型台式机，你必须选择 Windows 机器。好消息是，Mac Mini 在其各种配置中仍然是一个引人注目的选择。你可以选择两款新机型：一款搭载 M6，另一款搭载 M5 Pro。对于大多数人来说，M6 型号是应该购买的选择，特别是如果你正在寻找一台快速、可靠的 Mac 台式机。

The Mac Mini isn’t the ultracheap mini PC it used to be. It’s $300 more than in the past, but the base model now has higher specs and a focus on running local AI. If you want a truly affordable little desktop PC for occasional use, you’ll have to opt for a Windows machine. The good news is that the Mac Mini remains a compelling offer across its configurations. You can choose between two new models: one with the M6 and one with the M5 Pro. The M6 model is the one most people should buy, especially if you’re looking for a fast, reliable Mac desktop.

新款 M6 芯片在 GPU 性能方面表现尤为出色，这是苹果持续取得进步的领域。如果你是一名初出茅庐的视频剪辑师或设计师，基础配置为创意应用程序提供了充足的性能。遗憾的是，它只比配置相似的 MacBook Air 便宜几百美元，考虑到笔记本电脑的多功能性，这让购买决策变得令人沮丧。但 Mac Mini 的外形尺寸第一次成为了优于笔记本电脑的优势。AI 爱好者们对那种可以放在桌面上、通过 MacBook 或 iPhone 远程控制的“全天候运行的代理 AI 盒子”的前景感到兴奋。这正是 Mac Mini 能做到的（只要确保升级内存）。考虑到整个行业的内存价格，你在 Windows 或 Linux 上找不到太多同类选择——至少在拥有如此高性能和内存的情况下是这样。

The new M6 chip is especially fast in terms of GPU performance, an area Apple continues to make strides. If you’re a fledgling video editor or designer, the base configuration packs plenty of performance for creative applications. Unfortunately, it’s only a couple hundred bucks cheaper than a similarly configured MacBook Air, which makes the buying decision frustrating given how much more versatile a laptop is. But for the first time, the Mac Mini’s form factor is a benefit over a laptop. AI enthusiasts get excited about the prospect of an always-on, agentic AI box that sits on their desk and can then be controlled remotely from a MacBook or iPhone. That’s exactly what the Mac Mini can do (just be sure to upgrade the memory). And given memory prices across the industry, you won’t find many comparable options on Windows or Linux—at least not with this much performance and RAM.

我还没有测试过 M5 Pro 型号，但主要区别在于增强的图形性能。尽管我提到了 M6 的改进，但你可以将 M5 Pro 配置为最高 20 个 GPU 核心，这在游戏、3D 建模和视频渲染等任务中非常有用。顾名思义，除非你是整天坐在 Final Cut Pro 或 DaVinci Resolve 前面的专业人士，否则我不建议考虑价格更高的 M5 Pro 配置。如果你更像是一个业余爱好者或浅尝辄止的用户，M6 可能就足够了。

I haven’t tested the M5 Pro model yet, but the main difference is in the enhanced graphics. Despite the improvements I mentioned on the M6, you can configure the M5 Pro up to 20 GPU cores, which really come in handy for tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, and video rendering. As the name suggests, I wouldn’t consider the pricier M5 Pro config unless you’re a professional who sits in front of Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve all day. If you’re more of a hobbyist or dabbler, the M6 will likely do you just fine.

M6 Mac Mini 的发货时间已经改善，你现在可以购买并直接从 Apple Store 取货。然而，M5 Pro 型号可能需要长达四周的时间才能发货。

Shipping times on the M6 Mac Mini have improved to the point where you can buy one and pick it up today from an Apple Store. The M5 Pro models, however, may take up to four weeks to ship.

Only for Pros: Mac Studio

与 Mac Mini 一样，Mac Studio 实际上有两个截然不同的版本。基础配置搭载了 M5 Max（与 MacBook Pro 中的芯片相同），特别是在 GPU 性能方面表现非常出色。在决定 M5 Pro Mac Mini 和 M5 Max Mac Studio 时，这是主要考虑因素。就像在 MacBook Pro 中选择这两款芯片一样，主要的升级在于图形性能。选择 M5 Max 还可以让你配置高达 128 GB 的统一内存，如果你打算运行繁重的本地 AI 模型，这一点很重要。另一方面，这会让你很快超过 5,000 美元的价格门槛。

Like with the Mac Mini, there are really two distinct versions of the Mac Studio. The base configuration comes with an M5 Max (the same chip in the MacBook Pro), sporting some really impressive GPU performance in particular. And that’s the main thing to consider when deciding between the M5 Pro Mac Mini and the M5 Max Mac Studio. Like choosing between those two chips in a MacBook Pro, the main upgrade is in graphics performance. Going with the M5 Max also lets you configure it with up to 128 GB of unified memory, which matters if you plan to run heavy local AI models. On the other hand, this puts you over the $5,000 price point rather quickly.

接下来是 M5 Ultra。这块巨大的芯片实际上是将两块 M5 Max 晶片拼接在一起，令我惊讶的是，在测试过程中，它有时能带来双倍的性能，例如在 GPU 性能方面。但听着，除非你确切知道自己打算用它做什么，否则不要考虑这个。为了让你知道这涉及到什么，我测试的型号拥有 256 GB 内存，价格超过 11,000 美元。你没看错。这绝对是我桌面上用过最昂贵的电脑。

And then, there’s the M5 Ultra. This massive chip is literally two M5 Max dies stitched together, and to my surprise while testing, it sometimes resulted in double the performance, such as in GPU performance. But look, don’t even bother considering this unless you know exactly what you intend to use it for. Just so you know what you’re getting into, the model I tested had 256 GB of memory and cost over $11,000. You read that right. It’s definitely the most expensive computer I’ve ever had on my desk.

但我下载并在 M5 Ultra 上开始运行我能找到的一些最大、最强大的 AI 模型，很快我就在设备上完全运行了一个基础级的大语言模型（LLM）——无需云端。这意味着你可以直接访问你的电脑，让强大的代理 AI 在没有隐私和安全顾虑的情况下尽情发挥。我在 M5 Ultra 上运行的一些简单的代理测试只用了几分钟，而在我的 M5 Max MacBook Pro 上则需要五倍的时间。

But I downloaded and started running on the M5 Ultra some of the largest and most powerful AI models I could find, and soon enough I had a foundation-tier LLM running completely on-device—no cloud needed. That means direct access to your computer for a powerful agentic AI to run wild with, all without the privacy and security concerns. Some simple agentic tests I ran on the M5 Ultra took minutes, whereas it took five times as long on my M5 Max MacBook Pro.

虽然这东西显然不是为了游戏而设计的，但《赛博朋克 2077》等游戏运行的速度让我感到非常震惊。我绝对从未在 Mac 上见过游戏运行得如此流畅。

And while this thing is clearly not intended for gaming, I was pretty blown away by how fast games like Cyberpunk 2077 ran. I’ve definitely never seen games play this smoothly on a Mac before.

遗憾的是，Mac Studio 的发货时间仍然很不确定。如果你想要任何 128 GB 或更高内存的配置，M5 Max 型号需要等待长达一个半月。与此同时，M5 Ultra Mac Studio 目前需要长达四个月的时间才能发货。

Unfortunately, shipping times on the Mac Studio are still dicey. If you want anything with 128 GB or more of memory, you’ll be waiting up to a month and a half for the M5 Max models. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio, meanwhile, will take up to four months to ship at this point.

Don’t Buy the iMac Right Now

近年来，iMac 一直被淡化。这款曾经标志性的一体机，配备了显示器、支架和配件，过去是学生、家庭、企业和……的首选经济实惠之选。

The iMac has been downplayed in recent years. The once-iconic all-in-one computer, which comes with the display, stand, and accessories, used to be an affordable go-to choice for students, families, businesses, and