Mac mini and Mac Studio Stock Out: RAM Crisis or M5 Refresh?
Several high-RAM configurations for the Mac mini and Mac Studio suddenly disappeared from Apple’s online store in the US on April 11, 2026. They are listed as "currently unavailable" with no delivery estimate and no option to order.
What’s out of stock?
- Mac mini configurations with 32GB and 64GB RAM
- Mac Studio configurations with 128GB and 256GB RAM
Lower-RAM models are experiencing significant delays, with some estimated shipping times reaching 16 to 18 weeks for the Mac mini. The Mac Studio with 256GB of unified memory (previously available with an optional 512GB upgrade) is now unavailable altogether.
Possible Causes:
Two main explanations are circulating:
- Global DRAM shortage: Since early 2026, a severe strain on the global memory market has been caused by AI infrastructure spending exceeding industry production capacity. This resulted in TrendForce forecasting a 90-95% quarter-over-quarter increase in server DRAM prices in Q1 2026.
- Inventory clearance and upcoming refresh: Alternatively, this could be part of Apple preparing for an M5-powered Mac mini and Mac Studio refresh rumored to be arriving mid-2026.
Apple has remained silent on the matter.
Previous Developments:
In March, Apple removed the 512GB RAM upgrade option from the Mac Studio entirely, limiting configurations to a maximum of 256GB unified memory. This change coincided with a significant price increase for the 256GB upgrade.