Apple unveiled new Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips
By ForGeeks Apple has updated its Mac Studio desktops with two generations of the company’s proprietary processors in the same lineup. The base version now features the M4 Max chip, while the higher-end model gets the more powerful M3 Ultra. Preorders are now open: Mac Studio with the M4 Max starts at $1999, while the M3 Ultra version will cost a minimum of $3999. Sales start March 12.
What’s different: M4 Max vs. M3 Ultra
Apple claims the M4 Max-based Mac Studio is 3.5 times faster than the original model with the M1 Max. The new chip gets a 14- or 16-core processor and graphics with 32-40 cores. The minimum RAM has increased from 32GB (in the M2 Max) to 36GB, and the maximum configuration now supports 128GB of RAM instead of the previous 96GB. SSD capacities remain the same, ranging from 512GB to 8TB.
The Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra chip offers an impressive 32 compute cores, with 24 of them responsible for performance – a 50 percent increase over any previous Ultra chip. The base GPU configuration has 60 cores, but can be expanded to 80. There’s also a 32-core neural processor for machine learning and AI tasks.
In terms of memory, the M3 Ultra version starts with 96GB of RAM, but the max configuration supports a whopping 512GB – enough to handle large local AI models. Onboard storage starts at 1TB and can go up to 16TB.
The M3 Ultra version starts at 1TB and can go up to 16TB.
A new level of graphics
Mac Studio has support for dynamic GPU caching for the first time, which reduces latency by storing frequently used data in a cache. There’s also hardware support for mesh shading and improved second-generation raytracing for more realistic graphics in games and content.
Mac Studio is the first to support dynamic GPU caching, which reduces latency by storing frequently used data in caches.
Design and Ports
The new Mac Studio’s exterior remains the same, the same compact silver box. On the front, there are two USB-C ports and an SD card slot. On the back, you’ll find four USB-C (Thunderbolt 5) ports, two USB-A ports, Ethernet, power, audio, and a standard 3.5mm headphone output.
It’s worth noting that models with the M4 Max only support Thunderbolt 5 on the four rear USB-C ports, while the M3 Ultra version offers Thunderbolt 5 support on all six connectors.
The M4 Max models support Thunderbolt 5 on all six connectors.
