Apple Mac Professional
MSRP $3,999.00
“The Mac Studio is a diminutive floating monolith that packs a punch.”
Execs
Awesome construct high quality
Small chassis
Forged connectivity
Superb creativity efficiency
Quiet operation
Sublime aesthetic
Cons
Pricey
Mediocre gaming
The Mac Studio got here out in 2022 and was once up to date with the newest M2 chips in 2023. Filling the bottom between the reasonably priced Mac mini and the expandable Mac Professional, the Mac Studio is a vintage center kid combating for an identification.
Its power, in fact, is that the Mac Studio packs a large number of energy into an overly small structure and a number of ports. In my transition to an all-Apple ecosystem, shifting clear of my Home windows desktop tower was once stored for remaining, and I got here into my checking out to look how effectively the Mac Studio would possibly exchange it. To my marvel, I discovered it a extremely succesful gadget, regardless of its restricted expandability.
Specifications and configurations
Dimensions (HxWxD)
3.7 x 7.7 x 7.7 inches
CPU/GPU
M2 Max 12-core CPU/30-core GPU
M2 Max 12-core CPU/38-core GPU
M2 Extremely 24-core CPU/60-core GPU
M2 Extremely 24-core CPU/76-core GPU
Case
Apple CNC aluminum
Reminiscence
32GB unified (M2 Max)
64GB unified
96GB unified (M2 Max 38-core GPU)
128GB unified (M2 Extremely)
192GB unified (M2 Extremely)
Garage
512GB SSD (M2 Max)
1TB SSD
2TB SSD
4TB SSD
8TB SSD
Energy provide
Apple 370W
USB ports
4 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 on rear
2 x USB-C on entrance (M2 Max)
2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 on entrance (M2 Extremely)
2 x USB-A on again
1 x HDMI
1 x 10GB Ethernet
3.5mm audio jack on again
SD card reader on entrance
Wi-fi
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Value
$1,999-plus
The Mac Studio is to be had in two variations in line with the chipset, both the M2 Max or the M2 Extremely. The desk above presentations that essential configuration variations exist, together with the volume of garage and RAM that may be decided on and the port configuration. These items are essential to keep in mind when equipping your Mac Studio.
The least you’ll spend on a Mac Studio is $1,999, for an M2 Max 12/30, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Essentially the most you’ll spend for an M2 Max model is a a lot more pricey $5,399 for an M2 Max 12/38, 96GB of RAM, and an 8TB SSD.
The Mac Studio with the M2 Extremely begins at $3,999 for an M2 Extremely 24/60, 64GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Totally configured, the Mac Studio is a whopping $8,799 for an M2 Extremely 24/76, 192GB of RAM, and an 8TB SSD.
This puts the Mac Studio as an overly top rate desktop, and also you’ll in finding Home windows desktops which are extra reasonably priced and be offering higher efficiency. Be aware additionally that the Mac Studio is a sealed enclosure with out a expandable elements. What you purchase is what you’ll get, perpetually, so make a selection properly.
A floating block of natural commercial design
Mark Coppock / Virtual Traits
As is standard with Apple PCs nowadays, the Mac Studio seems to be chiseled from a unmarried block of aluminum — which is largely what it’s. The MacBooks have that side once they’re closed, and so does the Mac Mini. Even the iMac stocks the semblance, albeit with a pane of glass melded in.
The Mac Studio epitomizes the similar starkly sublime design, with any vents and seams hidden at the backside or at the again, out of the best way. Take a look at the Mac Studio from the standard reasonably top-down attitude when it’s sitting on a desktop, and it seems like a silver monolith floating a quarter-inch or so off the outside. A big chrome Apple emblem sits on peak as the one adornment. I love the classy somewhat a little bit.
There are two USB-C ports and an SD card reader in advance, however the ones seem like in moderation crafted cutouts. The USB-A, Ethernet, and HDMI ports are at the again, most probably as a result of the ones would reveal extra in their untidy internals. Having a number of of the previous at the entrance may well be extra handy, however that may get a divorce the appearance.
The again is much less tidy, with 4 USB-C ports, an audio jack, and an influence connection to move with an exhaust vent that extends alongside all of the duration. Be aware that the 4 USB-C ports at the again make stronger Thunderbolt 4 on each chipset variations, whilst the entrance two are Thunderbolt 4 handiest with the M2 Extremely.
Mark Coppock / Virtual Traits
Obviously, Apple was once going for a selected aesthetic, and that’s well-accomplished at the price of some minor comfort.
The Mac Studio could also be remarkably small, given the ability inside of. It’s not up to 8 inches on every aspect and no more than 4 inches tall, virtually the similar dimensions as two Mac Minis stacked on peak of one another. It suits somewhat simply below my middle 27-inch show, which is held up by way of a dual-monitor arm. The cables connecting to the 3 screens and the Ethernet jack on my router are hidden within the again, making for an uncluttered look. In the event you’re connecting wirelessly to the web, in addition to in your keyboard and mouse, you’ll respect the Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 make stronger.
I’m the use of Apple’s Magic Keyboard with Contact ID, which is solely as very good because the keyboard on my MacBook Professional 14. My mouse is the Logitech MX Grasp 3S, which goes completely with the Mac Studio and too can make stronger my Home windows desktop, which stays in a position for standby use. I additionally attached to exterior audio system by way of the three.5mm audio jack, since the integrated speaker is somewhat susceptible and very best for machine sounds handiest. If you wish to attach a couple of headphones, you’ll be bummed that the relationship is at the again, however you’ll respect the make stronger for high-impedance cans.
Total, the Mac Studio is a surprisingly well-designed desktop that’s minimalist and extremely horny. It exudes solidity and high quality and epitomizes Apple’s fastidious design sensibilities. You’ll be able to in finding Home windows mini-PCs which are in a similar way sized, just like the HP Z2 Mini G9, however for my part, they’re no longer just about as cohesively designed.
Very speedy, very small, and really quiet, however no longer the quickest round
Mark Coppock / Virtual Traits
My Mac Studio is configured with the M2 Extremely, which is largely two M2 Max chips glued in combination. It’s a little bit extra difficult than that, in fact, however evaluate the specifications and also you’ll in finding two times the CPU and GPU cores. I selected the bottom 24-core CPU/60-core GPU slightly than the 24-core/76-core model, merely since the latter is an extra $1,000 and the previous is already overkill for my workflow. Each variations have CPUs with 16 efficiency cores and 8 potency cores, the similar 32-core Neural Engine, and a whopping 800GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth. The one distinction is the additional 16 GPU cores within the costlier model.
As I ran via our suite of benchmarks, I used to be amazed at how quiet the Mac Studio remained right through. Regardless of how not easy the method, the gadget remained necessarily inaudible. I needed to put my ear to the Mac Studio to listen to the lovers operating. It obviously advantages from a well-engineered cooling machine, and it’s orders of magnitude quieter than my Home windows desktop (a medium-sized tower that sits at the flooring subsequent to my table). Home windows mini-PCs also are a lot louder below excessive quite a bit. Even the MacBook Professional will get louder when running exhausting.
Talking of that, it’s essential to take a second to imagine the MacBook Professional that’s now to be had with as much as the M3 Max. That chipset is manufactured with the brand new 3nm node, making improvements to at the 5nm procedure used within the M1 and M2 chipsets. That transition provides further energy and potency, letting Apple retain the similar core counts with the brand new chipsets whilst boosting efficiency.
Extra essential, even though, are the enhancements to the GPU, which now makes use of new era like Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and mesh shaders. The enhanced GPU presentations up in gaming and packages that may make the most of the GPU to hurry up more than a few processes.
Even the Neural Engine has been up to date and is now significantly quicker, and provides a complicated media engine that permits higher {hardware} acceleration for more than a few video formats. Importantly, those updates accelerate ingenious packages, making the brand new chipset much more robust for creators.
Mark Coppock / Virtual Traits
As we’ll see within the benchmark effects, the MacBook Professional 14 with the M3 Max with 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores, a 16-core Neural Engine, and a 400GB/s reminiscence bandwidth provides kind of the similar efficiency because the M2 Extremely 24/60. Even the M2 Extremely 24/76 wouldn’t very much exceed the MacBook’s efficiency. Someday sooner or later, more than likely in mid- to overdue 2024, Apple will most probably introduce a Mac Studio with an M3 Extremely, which can without a doubt be offering massively advanced efficiency over the M2 Extremely reviewed right here.
The essential takeaway from those effects is that the Mac Studio with the M2 Extremely is an overly speedy PC, particularly taking into account its diminutive stature and quiet operation. It’s no longer as speedy because the quickest Home windows desktops or the MacBook Professional with the M3 Max in sure benchmarks. In some instances, in particular the place the GPU is anxious, it’s significantly slower.
Within the all-important PugetBench Premiere Professional benchmark that runs in a are living model of Adobe’s Premiere Professional, the Mac Studio is 10% quicker than the MacBook and 17% slower than an impressive Home windows desktop. You’ll be able to without a doubt construct or purchase a Home windows desktop that can supply quicker efficiency at a lower cost, whether or not you’re a gamer or a writer. However for MacOS customers, the Mac Studio stays the most productive efficiency possibility, albeit by way of a narrow margin over the M3 Max.
Cinebench R24
single-core
Cinebench R24
multi-core
Cinebench R24
GPU
Handbrake
(in seconds)
Pugetbench for Premiere Professional
Mac Studio
(M2 Extremely 24/60)
120
1,870
7,727
56
978
MacBook Professional 14
(M3 Max 16/40)
139
1,522
12,765
53
889
Customized Home windows PC
(Core i9-13900K/RTX 4090)
126
2083
34,230
N/A
1,148
Alienware Aurora R16
(Core i7-13700F/RTX 4070)
112
1,070
16,974
N/A
828
MacBook Professional
(M2 Max)
121
1032
5592
85
N/A
iMac
(M3 8/10)
140
657
3728
112
N/A
Can it recreation?
Gaming on a Mac is healthier than ever, but it surely nonetheless lags Home windows by way of a substantial margin. The largest factor is the provision of peak titles for MacOS. Merely put, it’s narrow pickings. Once I take a look at my Steam account, I in finding just a handful of video games that can run on my Mac Studio. I’m no longer a large gamer, so gaming efficiency isn’t extraordinarily essential to me.
Some first rate video games are to be had for the Mac, even though, and I’ve looked at a couple of. First, in Civilization VI, the Mac Studio controlled 65 frames consistent with 2nd (fps) at 1080p and extremely graphics. That’s effectively under Home windows gaming PCs, however nonetheless playable, and oddly sufficient, the Mac Studio completed virtually precisely the similar fps as I ramped up the solution to 4K. I additionally ran Baldur’s Gate 3 and Fortnite, and each ran effectively at their default settings.
The M3 Max within the MacBook Professional will supply a lot more potent gaming, as will well-equipped Home windows desktops. I wouldn’t counsel purchasing the Mac Studio for gaming, particularly at such excessive costs.
Awesome show make stronger
Having a look at those benchmark effects, you’ll be taking into account a MacBook Professional with the M3 Max slightly than the Mac Studio. That’s an affordable proposition, however in the event you’re in search of a desktop configuration, you’ll wish to in moderation imagine show make stronger.
The Mac Studio with the M2 Max helps as much as 5 shows. That’s 4 shows with 6K solution at 60Hz by way of Thunderbolt 4, and some other 4K show at 60Hz over the HDMI ports. You’ll be able to additionally connect two shows at 6K and 60Hz and one 8K show at 60Hz or a 4K show at as much as 240Hz by way of HDMI. The M2 Extremely model helps as much as 8 shows at 4K and 60Hz, as much as six shows at 6K and 6Hz, and as much as 3 shows at 8K and 60Hz. The HDMI port additionally helps a 4K show as much as 240Hz. After all, different mixtures also are conceivable.
The MacBook Professional with the M3 Max helps as much as 4 exterior shows, with 3 at 6K and 60Hz and one 4K solution at as much as 144Hz by way of HDMI. Or, you’ll be able to run 3 exterior shows, one at 6K at 60Hz, one at 8K at 60Hz, and one 4K at as much as 240Hz by way of HDMI.
It’s difficult, however the secret’s that the Mac Studio helps extra shows at upper resolutions and refresh charges. In the event you plan a posh multi-monitor setup, the Mac Studio is the simpler selection. After all, as a desktop, you gained’t be plugging and unplugging all the ones shows, even if it is advisable to simplify issues by way of the use of a Thunderbolt 4 dock with the MacBook Professional.
Pricey, however value it
The Mac Studio is a standout desktop PC. It’s extremely small for the reason that it provides such very good efficiency, and I’m nonetheless amazed at how quietly it runs even whilst running exhausting. The standard can’t be beat, which is standard of Apple merchandise, and it supplies a number of connectivity and show make stronger.
It’s additionally pricey, particularly if you choose the speedier M2 Extremely fashion. You have to purchase a MacBook Professional 16 with an identical specifications and an M3 Max for a few hundred greenbacks extra and experience equivalent or higher efficiency, relying to your software. However the Mac Studio will make stronger extra shows and supply extra ports out of the field. In the event you’re in search of an impressive desktop PC and are dedicated to macOS, then the Mac Studio is a wonderful selection.
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