Like the Mac mini, the Mac Studio is a compact computer that packs stellar performance for its price, and there are many reasons to consider it as your next computer.
1. The Modular Design
The Mac Studio features a modular design, meaning you will have to supply your own display, keyboard, camera, and mouse. This allows you to customize your setup to your liking.
The Mac Studio can connect to just about any external monitor with an HDMI or Thunderbolt port, but Apple’s own Studio Display is the perfect 5K display for this machine.
Its compact form factor is a huge selling point for this computer, as it allows you to easily transport it from one location to another. Apple has designed it in a way that doesn’t take up much space on your desk—the machine looks like two Mac minis stacked on top of each other.
2. Packs Apple’s Most Powerful Chips
The Mac Studio features two chips to choose from: The M1 Max and the M1 Ultra. The M1 Ultra is essentially two M1 Max chips fused together to deliver unprecedented performance without facing the limitations that come with increasing the die size.
You can configure the M1 Max variant with a 24-core or a 32-core GPU. As for the M1 Ultra configurations, you can get the Mac Studio with either a 48-core or 64-core GPU depending on your power requirements.
When it comes to memory and storage configurations, you can spec the Mac Studio with up to 128GB of unified memory and up to 8TB of storage. However, if you need 128GB of RAM, you need to get the M1 Ultra chip since a single M1 Max chip only supports up to 64GB of memory.
The M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips provide incredible performance that can handle demanding workflows. To put the power of the M1 Ultra chip into context, the M1 Ultra in the Mac Studio outperforms the 28-core Xeon chip in the Mac Pro, according to Geekbench. You get a more powerful chip for significantly less money.
3. The Price Is Compelling
The Mac Studio comes in at a surprisingly reasonable starting price of $1,999. That model comes with the M1 Max chip, 32GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The Mac Studio’s M1 Ultra configuration starts at $3,999 and packs 64GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage.
The Mac Studio sits above the M1 iMac and Mac mini, but it is significantly less expensive than the Mac Pro’s $5,999 starting price. For the price of either the base model or high-end model, you get stellar performance that can handle demanding workflows such as 4K video editing, photo editing, app development, music creation, and more.
However, one should only consider purchasing the M1 Ultra version if their workflow can benefit from the performance.
4. Versatile I/O
The Mac Studio offers a generous amount of ports. The desktop comes with four Thunderbolt 4-enabled USB-C ports on the back and two regular USB-C ports on the front.
However, if you get the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra, the two USB-C ports on the front are Thunderbolt 4-enabled as well. The Mac Studio also features an SDXC card slot on the front that should please all content creators.
In addition to those ports, the Mac Studio also features 10 Gigabit Ethernet, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an HDMI port. The headphone jack supports high-impedance headphones like the M1 Pro MacBook Pros and M2 MacBook Air.
As you can tell by now, the port selection on the Mac Studio won’t be a limiting factor at all, as it offers multiple forms of connectivity for peripherals such as displays, storage devices, and more.
A High-End Desktop Mac for Professional Use
The Mac Studio is a computer aimed at professionals who want a compact, capable machine that they can easily move around in a studio or workspace. Even the base model provides incredible performance at a compelling price—it’s like a Mac mini on steroids.
So, if you need the most powerful Apple silicon Mac available, the Mac Studio is it—at least until Apple refreshes the Mac Pro. However, if you’re looking to purchase the Mac Studio and Studio Display as a replacement for your iMac, you may want to reconsider.
