Apple’s upgraded Mac Studio includes the M2 Max or M2 Ultra chip
It starts at $1,999 and launches next week.
Apple unveiled the second-generation Mac Studio at its WWDC 2023 keynote. The pro-tier workstation runs on the new M2 Max or M2 Ultra chip and starts at $1,999. The new Mac Studio is still akin to a “Mac mini Pro,” positioned as a larger and significantly more powerful version of Apple’s budget desktop. But the updated variant now has the M2 Max’s or M2 Ultra’s extra horsepower to excel even more at demanding tasks like 8K video-editing, 3D modeling or music production.
Apple says the M2 Max version is up to 50 percent faster than the first-gen Mac Studio and four times faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac. In addition, the company says the M2 Max can render up to 50 percent faster in After Effects, while developers can code up to 25 percent faster in Xcode. It has a 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU and up to 96GB of memory while supporting up to 400 GB/s bandwidth.
Meanwhile, the M2 Ultra variant “delivers twice the performance and capabilities” of the M2 Max. The M2 Ultra Mac Studio is “up to three times faster” than the M1 Ultra variant from 2022, and it can run up to six times faster than the highest-end 27-inch Intel iMac. It has a 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU and supports a maximum of 192GB of RAM with 800GB/s unified memory bandwidth.
The new Mac Studio also has a higher-bandwidth HDMI port, supporting up to 8K resolution and 240Hz frame rates. In practice, Apple says the M2 Ultra version can output its display to up to six Pro Display XDRs while driving over 100 million pixels. The machine also adds WiFi 6E for faster downloads and Bluetooth 5.3.
On its back, the computer has four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, the upgraded HDMI port and two USB-A ports. Two USB-C ports and an SD card slot are on its front.
The machine starts at $1,999 for the base M2 Max version. Apple will open preorders for the new Mac Studio today, and it’s scheduled to ship next week.
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