Two 256GB Mac Studios Cost $701 Less Than One 512GB Model

The math that makes Apple's upgrade look absurd

Apple's configurator lists the 256GB Mac Studio M5 Ultra at $10,799. Adding 256GB more memory pushes the price to $22,299 — an $11,500 charge for the upgrade alone.

Two base 256GB units total $21,598. That is $701 less than the single 512GB machine, and you get two complete systems: two M5 Ultra chips with 36-core CPUs and 80-core GPUs, two sets of storage, and two power supplies.

The comparison first surfaced on TechRadar, and it is easy to see why it spread. Paying more for less silicon is not a great look, even by Apple's standards.

To be fair, the two machines do not behave like one 512GB computer. Each keeps its own memory pool, so software that needs a single 512GB address space still requires the expensive single unit.

Mac Studio M5 Ultra: memory configurations and prices

Why the 512GB upgrade costs so much

The M5 Ultra has 64 memory channels. The 256GB configuration uses 4GB LPDDR5X chips, while the 512GB version needs denser 8GB modules.

Higher-density memory is more expensive per gigabyte, and Apple has never been shy about charging for it. But the company has not published a cost breakdown or explained the $11,500 figure, so the exact markup remains unclear.

This pricing lands during a broader memory crunch. RAM prices have been climbing sharply, and SK Hynix has warned that high prices could last until 2030 — a forecast we covered in RAM Prices Could Stay High Until 2030, SK Hynix Warns. That context makes Apple's upgrade look less like pure greed and more like the new normal for high-capacity memory, though the gap is still hard to swallow.

The timing is rough for anyone planning a workstation purchase. As we noted in RAM Crisis: Black Friday May Be Your Last Good PC Deal, memory costs are reshaping what a reasonable price looks like across the entire PC market.

Who should actually buy the 512GB model

The single 512GB machine is for workloads that need one large unified memory pool. Everyone else can save money with two 256GB units or a single 256GB model plus external storage.

If you run large language models or simulations that must fit entirely in memory, the 512GB configuration is the only option. Splitting the work across two machines via Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s, or about 15GB/s) does not merge their memory into one pool.

For video editing, software development, or running separate AI tools on each workstation, two 256GB machines offer more total compute for less money. You just have to manage two systems.

Availability and pricing

The Mac Studio M5 Ultra is available directly from Apple in the US, UK and EU. Prices vary by region due to taxes and currency, but the $11,500 upgrade charge is the US list price.

If you are considering the 512GB model, check whether your software can use two separate machines. If it can, two 256GB units are cheaper and give you far more hardware.

Apple's $11,500 memory upgrade is a tough sell when two complete machines cost less. Until Apple explains the pricing or memory prices fall, the 512GB Mac Studio M5 Ultra will remain a niche tool for workloads that cannot be split.