--- title: "AI Servers Strain Memory Capacity: Apple Cuts Mac Configurations, Mac mini Capped at 48GB" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/285354110.md" description: "The surge in AI server construction is squeezing global memory production capacity, directly impacting Apple's desktop Mac product line. Apple has removed several high-memory configurations of the Mac Studio and Mac mini from its store, with the M4 Pro Mac mini's memory cap reduced to 48GB and delivery times for some models extended to 9-10 weeks. Apple CEO Tim Cook cited higher-than-expected demand and competition for memory as the primary causes, predicting that supply constraints will persist for several months" datetime: "2026-05-06T10:16:31.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/285354110.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/285354110.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/285354110.md) --- # AI Servers Strain Memory Capacity: Apple Cuts Mac Configurations, Mac mini Capped at 48GB The global memory chip supply crisis is directly impacting Apple's desktop Mac product line. Apple has **removed several high-memory configurations of the Mac Studio and Mac mini** from its online store, including the Mac Studio equipped with the M3 Ultra chip and 256GB of memory, the 64GB version of the M4 Pro Mac mini, and the 32GB version of the standard M4 Mac mini. Currently, the M3 Ultra Mac Studio is available only with 96GB of memory, and **the memory cap for the M4 Pro Mac mini has been reduced to 48GB**. Meanwhile, **delivery times for both the M3 Mac Studio and the M4 Max Mac Studio have been extended to 9 to 10 weeks**. Apple CEO Tim Cook had previously warned about the supply tightness. He stated, "Looking ahead, it may take several months for the Mac mini and Mac Studio to reach a balance between supply and demand." Cook also pointed out that **Apple expects memory costs to rise significantly in the coming months, with supply pressures unlikely to ease in the short term**, urging both consumers and business buyers to prepare accordingly. ## Expanding Removals Lead to Higher Entry Prices **This is not the first time Apple has cut configurations for these products.** In March and April of this year, Apple gradually stopped accepting orders for certain high-memory versions of the Mac Studio and Mac mini. Last week, Apple also adjusted the minimum storage configuration for the Mac mini from a 256GB SSD to 512GB, effectively raising the starting price of the Mac mini from $599 to $799, an increase of approximately 33%. **As available configurations continue to narrow, consumer choices are being progressively compressed.** Currently, the standard M4 Mac mini offers only 16GB and 24GB memory options, leaving users with high-end requirements unable to obtain larger memory versions through official channels. ## Higher-than-Expected Demand Clashes with AI Server Competition, Straining Supply Chains Apple CEO Tim Cook attributed the current supply tightness to two factors: **first, the company underestimated market demand for the Mac mini and Mac Studio, particularly from users seeking to run AI and intelligent agent tools locally; second, the global boom in AI server construction has triggered fierce competition for memory chips, leading to a sharp rise in memory prices and widespread supply tightening.** The large-scale expansion of AI infrastructure is competing with consumer electronics for the same pool of memory chip resources, a structural contradiction that is difficult to resolve in the short term. Apple's proactive reduction of certain configuration options is seen as a strategic choice to prioritize shipments of core product lines under limited supply conditions. Based on Cook's statements and the current trend of configuration removals, the supply tightness for the Mac Studio and Mac mini is expected to persist for the next few months. For corporate users and individual consumers with procurement needs, whether facing extended delivery times or reduced configuration options, it means planning ahead and adjusting procurement expectations. ### Related Stocks - [AAPL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPL.US.md) - [SOXX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SOXX.US.md) - [AAPX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPX.US.md) - [RSPT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RSPT.US.md) - [SOXL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SOXL.US.md) - [AAPB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPB.US.md) - [SMH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SMH.US.md) - [AAPD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPD.US.md) - [AAPU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPU.US.md) - [AAPY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPY.US.md) - [APLY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/APLY.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Apple Stops Offering Mac Mini With 256GB of Storage, Starting Price Rises to $799](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284929198.md) - [MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Mac Mini to Run AI Agents With Astropad's 'Workbench' App](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284924121.md) - [Apple delivers strong quarter with upbeat outlook](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284918216.md) - [Dara Capital US Inc. 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