Verdict
Fast and small , the Apple Mac Studio is a corking Mac for those who necessitate a destiny of power and love a encompassing selection of ports .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
With the rumoured M - series Mac Pro still very much MIA , the Apple Mac Studio is a high - end desktop choice for those who need a little more oink than the Mac Mini offering .
Like the 2023 version of theMac MiniI reviewed lately , the Mac Studio comes in a few dissimilar flavours depend on how intensive your work load is . While the base reading starts at £ 1999/$1999 , it ’s potential to jump up to £ 7999/$7999 .
With the lowly Mini offer warm operation for a lot less , is there still a place for the Apple Mac Studio ?
Design
The Mac Studio is a simple machine to seem at . It ’s hard influenced by the Mac Mini , almost as if Apple has popped two Minis on top of each and call it a daytime . It ’s less than 20 cm broad and deep and just 9.5 curium tall making it small enough to fit under many monitor and considering the top executive that can be on fling , it feels downright miniature .
This is n’t designed as a portable machine , but it can easily be moved around in a small bag with ease . I carry it from the government agency to home for further examination and while it ’s not something I would do every day , the 2.7 kg weightiness ( the M1 Ultra variation is heavier at 3.6 kg ) is hunky-dory for moving between studios .
On the front of the Apple Mac Studio , there are a twosome of ports , something not found on the front of the Mac Mini . On the M1 Max edition , there are two USB - coulomb ( with pep pill up to 10Gb / s supported ) , while theM1 Ultraswaps them for twoThunderbolt 4 ports . Both have a UHS - II specification SDXC card slot too .
It might sound basic , but having a few port well accessible makes using the Mac Studio so much easier in everyday use . Not give to blindly reach around the back to plug in an outside SSD or an Coyote State card , or even just an iPhone charging cable’s length , is wonderful and it really should have been like this on the Mac Mini too .
There ’s a sound extract of ports around the back , too . These include fourThunderbolt 4ports , 10Gb Ethernet for gamey – speed wire connections , HDMI , a 3.5 headphone diddly-squat and two USB - A port , Those Thunderbolt 4 larboard can support up to 40Gb / s f number and DisplayPort , too .
It ’s great to see Apple continuing to use the quad usable here to total in all the embrasure other Macs – peculiarly the USB - C - onlyiMac 24 - column inch – have ditch , notably the two USB - A ports . This means unless you have specific storage menu that are n’t supported , using this machine without an bond dongle is perfectly doable .
Like the Mac Mini , the Mac Studio does n’t number with a monitor lizard or any accessory like a keyboard or shiner . Apple , of course , would care you to fling on the accompanyingStudio Display , which is an fantabulous screen even if does miss off some higher - conclusion features like a ProMotion panel , proper HDR support orMini LEDtech . Those with an even with child wallet could go for thePro Display XDR .
I would assume most will plank for a cheapermonitoror one that is already being used . you could attach a display through one of the Thunderbolt 4 port on the rear ( these back up the Display Port touchstone ) or via HDMI . Up to four Pro Display XDRs at 6 K 60Hz can be connected at the same time .
Performance
There are two chief versions of the Mac Studio sold by Apple . One with the M1 Max crisp ( starting at £ 1999/$1999 ) boasts a 10 - coreCPU , 24 - coreGPU , 16 - core Neural Engine for AI task and 400GB / s computer storage bandwidth . The higher - end role model ( starting at £ 3999/$3999 ) apply the M1 Ultra cow dung with a 20 - core CPU , 48 - core GPU , 32 - core Neural Engine and 800GB / s retentivity bandwidth .
The M1 starts with 32 GB memory and can be upped with 64 GB , while the Ultra ups that to a base of 64 GB and a uttermost of 128 GB . Both can be fit with up to 8 TB of storage .
In typical Apple fashion , these memory upgrades are expensive ( £ 800/$800 for a move from 64 GB to 128 GB memory , £ 2200/$2200 for an 8 TB SSD ) and performing your own upgrades after buy is n’t an option , so you ’ll need to really think about what you when you make the plunge .
While both versions are called the Apple Mac Studio , the immense price deviation clearly points them towards two dissimilar markets . The M1 Ultra is Apple ’s most powerful M1 micro chip and this puddle for a lawful Pro machine for those who require the most office in a desktop potential . The cheaper M1 Ultra variance feels a little more like Mac Mini Pro .
The Mac Studio provided by Apple for this review is the M1 Max interpretation , with a 32 - core GPU , 10 - core CPU and 64 GB RAM . It ’s a mid - tier pick , costing around £ 2599/$2599 and it ’s supremely subject .
In the Standard PugetBench for Premiere Pro bench mark ( version 0.98 ) – a high - execution synthetic benchmark that gives a general view of editing , encode and exporting speeds – the Mac Studio grade 626 – putting it above theRazer Blade 16(i9 - 13950HX , RTX 4090 ) which mark 601 .
In the more general Geekbench 5 test , the Mac Studio scored 1792 in the single - core and 12759 in the multi - core , which is a similar account to the M2 Pro chipset powering the higher - end Mac Mini M2 Pro andMacBook Pro 14 - inch . In the newer Geekbench 6 tryout , the Mac Studio score 2399 ( undivided - pith ) and 12272 ( multi - core ) which is on par with the Razer Blade 16 ( same specs as above ) as that make 2662 and 13350 .
Throughout all my examination , the Apple Mac Studio stayed almost mum and it did n’t get hot to the touch either .
Elsewhere , there’sWi - Fi 6and Bluetooth 5 . I would expect any update to Mac Studio come in 2023 or 2024 to up this toWi - Fi 6Eand include Bluetooth 5.3 as both of these are found in raw Macs .
There is an in - built speaker on the rear of the Mac Studio that ’s adequate for notifications and YouTube picture , though you ’ll want earpiece or external verbaliser for anything else . I come up that because the speaker unit is around the back , it can be well blocked depending on where you range the machine .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
Considering the index that can be crammed inside , the Mac Studio is a wonderfully compact automobile that fits almost anywhere .
For most consumer , the Mac Mini ( either with its M2 or M2 Pro cow chip options ) is a beneficial , more economical bargain that still supply slew of power .
Final Thoughts
The Mac Studio is an highly capable simple machine , specially for those who want more GPU choice than the Mac Mini offers . It has some skillful design constituent than the Mac Mini too , including the front - mounted SD card and USB - C port .
Rumours indicate there could be an updatedMac Studio 2023on the way , withM2versions of the Ultra and Max chips . It would also likely confirm newer Wi - Fi and Bluetooth standards so it ’s worth keeping an eye out for this if the top - remainder model is in your sights .
Still , for the size and the options uncommitted , the Mac Studio is a very welcome addition to the desktopMacfamily .
Trusted Score
How we test
Every microcomputer we review work through a serial of uniform checks designed to estimate key aspects including build quality , performance , and accessibility .
These admit formal synthetical benchmarks and scripted mental testing , plus a serial publication of veridical - humankind checks .
FAQs
There ’s a individual Silver vividness available .
Nope , the only one included is a power cable length .
