Key Notes
- Elon Musk said Apple’s $29,799 Mac Studio “makes a Tesla seem quite affordable” in an October 29 reply on X.
- The top configuration pairs an M5 Ultra chip with a 36-core CPU, an 80-core GPU, 512GB of unified memory and a 16TB SSD.
- The earlier $22,299 configuration has the same memory capacity and a 1TB SSD, with 16TB storage adding $7,500.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk turned the price of Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) most expensive Mac Studio configuration into a comparison with his electric vehicles. Responding to an image of the $29,799 desktop on X, Musk wrote: “Makes a Tesla seem quite affordable!”
The configuration combines an M5 Ultra chip, 512GB of unified memory and a 16TB solid-state drive. Apple’s U.S. store confirms that price for the selected machine, placing this specialized professional desktop far above the starting prices of its mainstream Macs.
Makes a Tesla seem quite affordable!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 29, 2026
Musk Responds to the Top Configuration
Musk’s October 29 reply was directed at Austen Allred, who had posted the Apple pricing screenshot. The comment drew attention to the unusually high cost of a fully configured workstation, rather than announcing a change to Tesla’s own prices.
The comparison also needs a distinction between an entry price and an optional specification. The $29,799 figure applies to a Mac Studio with Apple’s 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, maximum memory and largest available internal SSD. It is not the starting price for the M5 Ultra range.
Why This Mac Costs $29,799
Apple’s selected configuration lists the 512GB-memory, 16TB-storage system at $29,799. The company offers substantial variation within the Mac Studio family, with the M5 Max version starting at $2,499 and M5 Ultra models starting at $5,499.
As we previously reported, a 512GB M5 Ultra Mac Studio with a 1TB SSD is listed at $22,299. Moving from that configuration to 16TB of storage adds $7,500, explaining the difference between the earlier price and the machine in Musk’s exchange.
The distinction matters for buyers assessing what they actually need. Memory capacity and internal storage solve different problems: one determines the working memory available to applications and models, while the other holds software, datasets and project files. Choosing the highest capacity in both categories produces the headline price.
Apple Targets Local AI and Professional Work
Apple’s specifications identify 512GB as unified memory, shared across the chip’s processing components. The 16TB SSD is separate. M5 Ultra supports 1.2TB per second of memory bandwidth, while the lower-tier M5 Max model tops out at 128GB of memory.
Those capabilities are aimed at a narrower audience than everyday desktop computing. Apple positions Mac Studio for work including local AI models, demanding video production and visual effects. The potential value depends on whether a customer’s applications can use the additional memory and processing capacity.
In its August announcement, Apple said the M5 Max and M5 Ultra desktops would become generally available on September 22, with the 512GB memory option following in late October. The current high-memory offering therefore extends an existing product generation.
Premium Mac Pricing Adds Context for AAPL
For Apple shareholders, the workstation illustrates the breadth of the company’s premium hardware strategy. It sits alongside the new touchscreen MacBook Pro, which starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and targets customers seeking a different combination of portability and professional features.
A high maximum price does not establish how many customers will choose that configuration or how much profit each sale will generate. The more useful commercial questions are the mix of systems sold, demand from professional users and the cost of supplying their chosen components.
Musk’s remark gives the top-end Mac a memorable comparison. The purchasing decision remains specific to the workload: the $29,799 machine combines Apple’s largest memory and storage options, while less expensive Mac Studio configurations remain available.
