Apple Launches Mac Studio Featuring M4 Max and M3 Ultra, Adds Thunderbolt 5 and Up to 512 GB Unified Memory

Apple has announced an updated Mac Studio, featuring the new M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, promising substantial performance upgrades and expanded connectivity, including Thunderbolt 5. The Mac Studio aims at creative professionals requiring intensive computing capabilities such as video editors, developers, engineers, and photographers.

The Mac Studio with the M4 Max chip is targeted toward high-performance tasks with significant single-threaded CPU capabilities, a robust GPU, and support for up to 128 GB of unified memory. In comparison, the M3 Ultra chip offers the highest-tier performance, with substantial improvements over previous Apple Silicon and Intel-based Macs, featuring up to 32 CPU cores and an 80-core GPU, designed especially for demanding AI workloads and complex rendering tasks.

Key Specifications

Mac Studio With M4 Max

• CPU: Up to 12-core CPU
• GPU: Up to 40-core GPU
• Memory: Up to 128 GB unified memory
• Storage: Up to 8 TB SSD
• Performance: Up to 3.5x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Max; up to 6.1x faster than 27-inch Intel iMac
• Media Engine: Dual ProRes accelerators for 4K ProRes video editing
• Thunderbolt 5 connectivity (up to 120 Gb/s)

Mac Studio With M3 Ultra

• CPU: Up to 32-core CPU (24 performance cores)
• GPU: Up to 80-core GPU
• Memory: Up to 512 GB unified memory
• Storage: Up to 16 TB SSD
• Unified Memory Bandwidth: Over 800 GB/s
• Performance: Up to 2.6x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Ultra; up to 6.4x faster than Intel-based Mac Pro with 16-core Xeon W
• Graphics: Supports dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading, and ray tracing
• Thunderbolt 5 connectivity (up to 120 Gb/s)
• Supports up to eight Pro Display XDRs at 6K resolution

Additional Features

• Built-in SDXC card slot, 10 Gb Ethernet, HDMI, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth
• Integrated Apple Intelligence capabilities including advanced AI tools, Writing Tools with optional ChatGPT integration, and enhanced privacy-focused cloud processing
• macOS Sequoia enhancements including wireless iPhone Mirroring, simplified window tiling, and improved gaming support

Environmental Impact

• Designed with over 30% recycled materials
• 100% recycled aluminum enclosure and rare earth elements
• Fully fiber-based packaging, no PVC, mercury, or brominated flame retardants

The new Mac Studio is available for preorder now, starting at $1,999 (U.S.) and begins shipping March 12.