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Mac Studio: Configurations, price, availability, and top stories

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Mac Studio

Mac Studio represents a new category between Mac mini and Mac Pro. It features a design based on the Mac mini, but with a taller body to support the more powerful hardware and also a better cooling system.

The computer is targeted at professional users who work with demanding tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and machine learning. 

Embraced by creative pros everywhere, Mac Studio now delivers next-generation power in the form of the lightning-fast M2 Max and the boundary-breaking M2 Ultra. It packs outrageous performance and extensive connectivity in an unbelievably compact form, putting everything you need within easy reach and transforming any space into a studio.

By default, Mac Studio already comes with the M2 Max chip, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD storage. A more expensive option lets users customize the computer with M2 Ultra. While M2 Max has a 12-core CPU and a 30-core GPU, M2 Ultra doubles all of those specs. The new chip has a 24-core CPU and a 60-core GPU.

Mac Studio can also be configured with up to 192GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD storage. The machine offers up to six Thunderbolt ports, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, headphone jack, two USB-A ports, and one HDMI port.

Mac Studio

Apple has been rumored to be working on new versions of this machine with the M3 Max and M3 Ultra chips. However, these versions may not be ready until 2025. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in November last year that the M3 Ultra chip “hasn’t yet gone into broad testing” inside Apple.

In the US, prices for the Mac Studio with M2 Max chip start at $1999. The M2 Ultra chip version starts at $3999. Just like the Mac mini, it doesn’t come with a keyboard and mouse in the box. You can find accessories for your Mac here.

Top stories about Mac Studio

Most older Mac Pro users should switch to Mac Studio – Macworld

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Most of those using a 2019 Mac Pro should switch to the Mac Studio, rather than the 2023 Mac Pro, argues Macworld videographer and gamer Thiago Trevisan.

He argues that there’s only one reason to choose the current Mac Pro over the much more compact Mac Studio, despite the fact that the 2019 model was “the best workstation [he has] ever owned” …

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2023 Mac Pro versus 2023 Mac Studio? Ports, PCI cards, vents, and wheels

2023 Mac Pro versus 2023 Mac Studio

Back at the beginning of the year, I questioned whether the 2023 Mac Pro would be dead on arrival – since it seemed Apple would have enormous difficulty in distinguishing it from other Macs powered by the same chips.

Apple has of course now announced the new Mac Pro, and while it does offer a handful of benefits the updated Mac Studio launched alongside it, very few people are going to buy one …

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Mac Studio gets its first hardware update with M2 Max and the new M2 Ultra chip

Mac Studio M2

Although WWDC is mainly a software-focused event, this year’s conference was packed with new hardware. During the opening keynote, Apple announced the second-generation Mac Studio, its desktop computer aimed at professional users. In its first hardware update ever, Mac Studio is now available with the M2 Max chip and the new M2 Ultra chip.

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Battle of the Blocks: Here’s how the Mac mini stacks up against the Mac Studio

Mac mini vs Mac Studio

Apple’s latest Mac mini with the M2 or M2 Pro chip means more powerful CPUs and GPUs, up to 32GB RAM, up to 3 external displays, 8K output via HDMI, WiFi 6E, and the base models are even more affordable. The standalone desktop sits below the more powerful Mac Studio, making the lineup more diverse. But is the Mac Studio overkill for most people with the Mac mini to consider? Here’s an in-depth Mac mini vs Mac Studio comparison for how everything shakes out.

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It’s been over 400 days since Apple SVP John Ternus said ‘Mac Pro’ is ‘for another day’

Turns out John Ternus wasn’t kidding when he said “that leaves just one more product to go: Mac Pro, but that’s for another day”. Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, had just unveiled the Mac Studio, the most powerful Apple silicon machine at the time. The line served to reassure Mac Pro customers that the best was yet to come.

More than a year later, however, a Mac Pro running on Apple Silicon is still yet to come. The wait is compounded by the fact that the current Mac Pro running on Intel Xeon chips was introduced in 2019, and that machine was the long-awaited course correction for the 2013 Mac Pro.

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Best Buy and Apple expand ‘Upgrade+’ financing program to include iMac and Mac Studio

imac-financing-best-buy-apple

Earlier this fall, Best Buy and Apple teamed up to launch the “Mac Upgrade Program” that many buyers have been waiting on for years. Today, Best Buy has announced an expansion of the new Upgrade+ program, now allowing users to choose iMac and Mac Studio models, building on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models that were included at the initial launch of the program.

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Apple surprises up-and-coming musicians with Mac Studio and Studio Display ‘dream desk’ makeover [Video]

Apple dream desk

Apple recently teamed up with popular YouTube creator Jonathan Morrison to pull off a special surprise for two up-and-coming creators. Apple reached out to Jonathan to ask if he wanted to surprise a creator with a dramatic overhaul to their tech setup, and the end result is pretty heartwarming…

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M1 Ultra benchmarks with real-life usage tests: 40% to 100% faster than M1 Max

We didn’t have long to wait after the launch of the Mac Studio to see a bunch of M1 Ultra benchmarks. These ranged from comparisons to the 28-core Intel Mac Pro to a comprehensive set of tests by Macworld.

A new set of tests not only aims to see how the M1 Ultra and M1 Max compare in real-life usage, but also when performing tasks specifically suggested by pro app users …

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There are only three Macs available for immediate shipping from Apple

Photo of Fedex plane on runway | There are only three Macs available for immediate shipping from Apple

A check on Macs available for immediate shipping from Apple shows that these are now limited to just three models. Other Macs involve waiting anywhere from one to two weeks all the way up to 11 weeks, depending on both model and country. Some of those who have already placed orders are seeing even longer waits.

It’s the latest measure of Chinese supply chain problems that Apple estimates could cost the company as much as $8B in lost revenue this quarter …

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Apple gives ‘Dream Studio Makeover’ including Mac Studio and Display to up-and-coming creative

Jared Polin of FroKnowsPhoto is a Philadelphia-based YouTuber with a following of over one million. On the channel, Polin uses his extensive photography experience to create “Fun and Informative” videos on the subject. As part of a new “Dream Studio Makeover” project from Apple, Polin got to change the life of a young up-and-coming creative.  

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Apple now selling braided 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable for $159

Alongside the Studio Display and Mac Studio announcement last month, Apple also started selling a new 1.8-meter Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable. The company also said it would release a 3-meter version of that cable soon, and now it’s officially available to purchase. Apple’s 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable will set you back a cool $159…

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Mac Studio review – even the base model is great [Video]

I’ve been working on formulating my Mac Studio review for a couple of weeks, and I’ve finally been able to spend enough time with the machine to share my thoughts about Apple’s most powerful desktop offering.

I’ve had the opportunity to test both the high-end Mac Studio with M1 Ultra system on a chip, along with the entry-level M1 Max base model. Is the Mac Studio a worthwhile purchase for those looking for a desktop solution? Should you splurge for the M1 Ultra? Watch my hands-on video walkthrough as I share my observations and findings, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Mac Studio-related videos.

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Most M1 Mac Thunderbolt 4 ports don’t support the 10Gb/s transfers of USB 3.1 Gen 2, show tests

Photos of M1 MacBook Pro ports | Most M1 Mac Thunderbolt 4 ports don't support 10Gbs transfers

Pro users of M1 Macs have reported disappointing transfer speeds with external SSDs, and tests appear to show that most M1 Mac Thunderbolt ports don’t support USB 3.1 Gen 2 – which means they don’t offer the maximum 10Gb/s transfer speeds that would be expected from Thunderbolt 4.

The tests were conducted on a 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Max, and a 2022 Mac Studio M1 Max …

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Which Mac Studio model should you buy? Tests show two factors are key

Render of inside of Mac Studio M1 Ultra | Which Mac Studio model should you buy

9to5Mac readers got a few days’ advance notice of Apple’s latest desktop computer – but if you’re in the market for one, which Mac Studio model should you buy? Or should you buy at all?

Apple offers the machine in two versions, M1 Max and M1 Ultra. The former runs the same chip as the top-end MacBook Pro, while the M1 Ultra is – on paper – in a whole new league …

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Apple’s M1 Ultra GPU comparison with Nvidia was misleading – Macworld

Apple's M1 Ultra GPU comparison with Nvidia was misleading

When Apple compared the M1 Ultra GPU performance to what was then Nvidia’s most powerful graphics card, the company’s chart and quote were technically true, but rather misleading, says Macworld.

Apple gave the impression that the M1 Ultra outperformed the Nvidia RTX 3090, but this was not the case – and will be even less so now that Nvidia has launched the 3090 Ti …

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iFixit teardown shows that Mac Studio’s internal storage is replaceable but not upgradable

Right after the Mac Studio hit stores last week, we saw some teardowns showing everything inside the machine. And while it became clear that Mac Studio has free storage slots, it was unclear whether users could upgrade on their own. Now iFixit has been able to confirm that although the Mac Studio’s internal storage is replaceable, it is not upgradable.

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