Apple’s maxed out 16-inch MacBook Pro costs $6,099

If you want a pro machine, you’ll have to pay top dollar for it. 

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro, announced Wednesday on Apple’s website, is the most powerful laptop the company has ever built. It starts at $2,399, but that price climbs fast as you start adding more options. 

If you tick all the boxes — which include a 2.4GHz, 8-core, 9th generation Intel Core i9 processor; 64GB of RAM; AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of memory; and 8TB of SSD storage, the price jumps to an eye-watering $6,099. 

As is typical for Apple, memory and storage options add the most to the price. 32GB of memory will cost you $400 extra, while 64GB of memory will cost $800 extra. For storage, a 2TB SSD costs $400 on top of the base price, a 4TB SSD costs $1,000, and adding an 8TB SSD will set you back $2,200. 

Despite the high price for a maxed out machine, the new 16-inch MacBook Pro isn’t expensive compared to its predecessor. The starting price —$2,399 and $2,799, depending on whether you choose an i7 or an i9 processor — is exactly the same as it was for the 15-inch MacBook Pro (which is discontinued). Given the number of improvements on the 16-inch Pro — bigger battery, better audio system, new thermal design, new Retina screen, to count a few — I’m pleasantly surprised that Apple offers it at the same price.