Apple presented its new chips, the Apple M1 Ultra, and these powerful SoCs will become the basis for brand new Macs: the Mac Studio.
These computers have been presented together with the new Mac Studio Display, a screen that is postulated as the perfect companion of this equipment that comes with two variants: one with the already known M1 Max, and another with the even more ambitious M1 Ultra.
Mac Studio technical specifications
Mac Studio (M1 Max) | Mac Studio (M1 ultra) | |
---|---|---|
Chip | M1 Max 10-core CPU (8 performance, 2 efficiency) 24/32 core GPU 16 core neural engine 400 GB/s of memory bandwidth | M1 Ultra20 core CPU (16 performance, 4 efficiency) 48/64 core GPU 32 core neural engine 800 GB/s of memory bandwidth |
Memory | 32 / 64 GB of Unified Memory | 64 / 128 GB of Unified Memory |
Storage | 512 GB SSD Configurable up to 8TB | 1 TB SSD Configurable up to 8TB |
Audio | integrated speaker 3.5mm headphone jack HDMI port | integrated speaker3.5mm headphone jack HDMI port |
Rear Ports | 4 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) 1 x 10 Gb Ethernet 2 x USB-A (5 Gbps) 1 x HDMI | 4 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) 1 x 10 Gb Ethernet 2 x USB-A (5 Gbps) 1 x HDMI |
Front Ports | 2 x USB-C (10 Gbps) SDXC card reader | 2 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) SDXC card reader |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 |
Dimensions and Weight | 197 x 197 x 95 mm 2.7 kg | 197 x 197 x 95 mm 3.6 kg |
Operating System | macOS Monterey | macOS Monterey |
Price | From $1,999 | From $3,999 |
Much more than a super-vitaminized Mac mini
The new Mac Studio adopts a format similar to that already known in the Mac mini but grows especially in the vertical to offer better cooling, something necessary to be able to placate the temperatures generated by its very powerful chip, the new Apple M1 Ultra.
The dimensions, 9.5 cm high by 19.7 cm wide and long, make it surprisingly compact for the power it packs.
On the front two USB-C ports have an interface that depends on the variant: on the M1 Max, there is USB 3.2 connectivity at 10 GBps, while on the M1 Ultra these ports are Thunderbolt 4.
Those connectivity options allow connecting up to four Mac Studio Display monitors and a Smart TV, something remarkable that shows the great game that all those connection ports can give.
Two versions of the Mac Studio leave even the Mac Pro behind
The inclusion of the M1 Max and especially the M1 Ultra chips makes the power we can get in these computers promising.
There are two variants of the Mac Studio:
- Mac Studio (M1 Max): a chip with a 10-core CPU, up to 32-core GPU, up to 64 GB of unified memory, and 400 GB/s of bandwidth.
- Mac Studio (M1 Ultra): a chip with a 20-core CPU, up to 64-core GPU, up to 128 GB of unified memory, and 800 GB/s bandwidth.
The M1 Ultra is essentially the combination of two M1 Max, and those 114 billion transistors – 8 times more than those integrated with the original Apple M1 chip – make it possible to integrate both all these advanced functions and that 128 GB of unified memory that we will be able to choose in one of the available models.
According to Apple, the performance of the model with the M1 Max is 2.5 times faster than the 27-inch iMac with the 10-core Core i9, and 50% faster than the Mac Pro with the 16-core Xeon. The GPU is 3.4 times faster than the 27-inch iMac with the Radeon Pro 5700XT.
Things are even better for the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra: its CPU is 3.8 times more powerful than the 27-inch iMac with the 10-core Core i9 and up to 60% faster than the Mac Pro with the 28-core Xeon. There is also promising news for the GPU, which Apple claims is up to 80% faster than the Radeon Pro W6900X in the Mac Pro.
It should be noted that these comparisons are made with computers that have processors that while powerful in their day, have been lagging with new releases from both Intel itself and Apple: it will be interesting to see these showdowns with new models from Intel, AMD, and with the MacBook Pros that we already have available with the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
Pricing and availability of the new Mac Studio
The new Mac Studio will be available for pre-order starting today and will be available on March 18. They are priced as follows:
- Mac Studio (M1 Max): starting at $1,999
- Mac Studio (M1 Ultra): starting at $3,999
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