The Mac Studio may be a relatively new kid on the block, but it’s already getting a major upgrade to the latest Apple silicon. Apple announced the refreshed Mac Studio during WWDC 2023, upgrading it with the latest M2 Max chip but also a brand-new M2 Ultra that’s three times faster than the previous generation.
The M2 Ultra-powered Mac Studio is a substantial upgrade compared to the first-generation Mac Studio that was released last year in March. Since its debut, the Mac Studio has won over creative professionals looking for an Apple desktop option that falls in between Mac Mini and Mac Pro. The M1-powered Mac Studio was considered one of the most powerful desktop options from Apple at the time, and now, the M2 chips mean that it gets to stay at the top of the Mac desktop lineup.
TRIPLE THE PERFORMANCE
According to Apple, the Mac Studio that uses M2 Ultra is three times faster than the M1-powered model and six times faster than the most-powerful Intel-based iMacs, which aren’t getting the upgrade to M2 this year. Even the Mac Studio that uses the M2 Max is 50 percent faster than its M1 Max predecessor.
For the M2 Max-powered Mac Studio, it will have a 12-core CPU, up to a 38-core GPU, and 96GB of unified memory with 400GB/s of memory bandwidth. For the top-of-the-line Mac Studio with M2 Ultra, it features a 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU, and up to 192GB of memory with 800GB/s of memory bandwidth. The M2 Ultra specs translate to users getting triple the performance when it comes to rendering 3D objects in Octane and 50 percent faster video processing speeds with DaVinci Resolve.
With the M2 Ultra-powered Mac Studio, you can set up the most extra workspace ever since it can support up to six Pro XDR Displays with 8K resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. Apple also improved the Mac Studio’s wireless capabilities with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. As for ports, the Mac Studio includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, an improved HDMI port, and two USB-A ports in the back. In the front, Apple put two USB-C ports and an SD card slot, which should make life a lot easier for creative professionals.
STUDIO POWERHOUSE
Apple says the upgraded Mac Studio is up for preorder now and will make it to customers and in stores starting June 13. Even though it’ll come with new chips, Apple is keeping the Mac Studio with M2 chips at the same starting price of $1,999.
Apple may bump down the price of the previous-gen Mac Studio that runs on the M1 chip to make it available to different demographics. Both versions will still be a worthwhile purchase for anyone looking for a powerful, but compact desktop that can handle any creative task you throw at it.
