Along with the new MacBook Air, Apple has released a new Mac Studio\. Unlike the original model, which featured the choice of M1 Max and M1 Ultra chip, or the second generation with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips, Apple has created a much sharper delineation between the entry level Mac Studio and the ‘beast mode’ option. The new Mac Studio comes with either an M4 Max or new M3 Ultra chip.
Confusingly, the M3 Ultra is the more powerful option.
As has become Apple’s habit, the performance comparisons it offers pit the Mac Studio against devices that are several years old. For example, Apple says the Mac Studio with M4 Max enables:
- Up to 1.6x faster image processing in Adobe Photoshop when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 2.9x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
- Up to 2.1x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 3.1x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
- Up to 1.2x faster ProRes transcode performance in Compressor when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 2.8x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
- Up to 1.6x faster video processing performance in Topaz Video AI when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 5x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
Those are impressive numbers but comparisons with devices that were released in the middle of the first Trump presidency will always be flattering.
What is true is that the new Mac Studio is the most powerful Mac ever made.
Who’s the Mac Studio for?
As the owner of a Mac Studio, I can comfortably say I have never pushed my device to anywhere close to the edge of its capability. I purchased my M1 Max Mac Studio not long after it was released and Apple replaced it, under warranty, with the M2 Max version ofter a recurring fault (thanks for the free upgrade Apple!).
I purchased it as it was the most powerful computer I could afford and I was looking for a machine that would run as my main workhorse for at least five years.
Apple says the M4 Max Mac Studio is the computer for “video editors, colourists, developers, engineers, photographers, creative pros, and other users who need to blaze through intensive workflows.”
With AI being a major workload being run by software developers, it’s no surprise Apple is touting the new Mac Studio’s capabilities in that arena. Interestingly, this is where they have pitched the M3 Ultra, suggesting the Max and Ultra architectures may be optimized for different types of workloads.
Apple says the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra enables up to 16.9x faster token generation using an LLM with hundreds of billions of parameters in LM Studio when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, thanks to its massive amounts of unified memory. The Mac Studio with M3 Ultra starts with 96GB of unified memory, which can be configured up to 512GB.
Expandability
The new Mac Studio features Thunderbolt 5 ports that deliver transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s, up to 3x faster than the prior generation
Thunderbolt 5 allows users to connect an external expansion chassis with higher bandwidth and lower latency. The M3 Ultra Mac Studio can drive up to eight Pro Display XDRs at the full 6K resolution. Mac Studio also offers a wide array of connectivity within easy reach for pros, including a 10Gb Ethernet port, an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot on the front to conveniently import photos and video, along with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Pricing and Availability
You can pre-order the new Mac Studio starting today on apple.com/au/store and in the Apple Store app. It will begin arriving to customers and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers from 12 March 2025.
Mac Studio with M4 Max starts at $3,499. The M3 Ultra Mac Stdio starts at $6999.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.