In addition to a new M4-Powered MacBook Air, Apple on Wednesday too launched A new Mac studio, its desktop for professionals who need top performance. The company is trying something new with the Mac Studio as it allows you to choose between the M4 Max or the M3 Ultra.
Mac studio starts at $ 1,999. Pre-orders open today and will be available on the Apple Store starting Wednesday 12 March.
Interestingly, despite the version number, the M3 Ultra is the latest addition to the M-Series series of chips. In Apple’s Lingo, the “Ultra” version is more powerful than the “Max” version (which is more powerful than the “Pro” version).
As the name implies, the M3 Ultra is based on the M3 architecture. Apple has connected two M3 max dies to create a single M3 Ultra using the Ultrafusion architecture. Compared to the M2 Ultra, the company says customers can expect up to 2x better performance with the M3 Ultra. Apple says it is “the highest performance chip it has ever created”.
From technical terms, the chip features 32 cores with 24 efficiency cores and eight efficiency. It also has the largest GPU in any Apple chip, with up to 80 graphics cores. In total, there are 184 billion transistors in the M3 Ultra.
As a reminder, the M4 Max packs a 14 -core CPU with 10 efficiency cores and four efficiency cores, as well as a 32 core GPU. Although designed in a more recent architecture, the M3 Ultra should perform much better than the M4 Max.
For $ 1,999, you get a M4 Max with 36GB of consolidated memory and 512GB of storage. The M3 Ultra version starts at $ 3,999 and comes with 96GB of consolidated memory and storage of 1TB.
These are just the basic configurations. Whether you choose the M4 Max or the M3 Ultra, you can add more memory and storage before buying your computer.
If you find yourself hitting the boundaries of the configuration tool on the Apple website when looking at a Mac mini, the Mac Studio offers many options. Customers can get up to 512GB of RAM and 16TB of storage.
Compared to the previous Mac studio, the design looks unchanged, with most of the ports being on the back of the computer. You will find four Thunderbolt 5 ports and two traditional USB-A ports for your heritage accessories. There is also an HDMI port and a 10GB Ethernet port. In addition, you can connect a sound device thanks to the reliable 3.5mm headset. Unlike the Mac Mini, the power button remains easily available on the back of the device.
At the front of the computer, you will find an SD slot and two additional USB-C ports. If you choose a M4 Max, these are only USB-C ports (without thunderbolt capabilities). If you receive a M3 Ultra, these doors are complete Thunderbolt 5 ports.
This means that you can connect up to eight 6k screens or four 8k screens with a Mac studio equipped with the M3 Ultra. So, if you want to build a wall wall, they can now be fed by a single Mac.
