Apple on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) announced the latest iteration of its Mac Studio, touting it as the most powerful Mac ever made. Equipped with the new M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, the compact desktop is designed for professionals who require top-tier performance. The new Mac Studio introduces Thunderbolt 5 for faster connectivity, up to 512GB of unified memory, and 16TB of SSD storage—all within a compact and quiet design meant to sit right on a desk.
Apple claims the new Mac Studio provides massive performance gains compared to previous models, making it an ideal choice for users working with AI, video production, and other intensive tasks.
Apple emphasises AI capabilities of the Mac Studio, with the M3 Ultra model supporting large language models (LLMs) with over 600 billion parameters entirely in memory. This makes it a powerhouse for AI workloads, offering high efficiency for machine learning and creative applications. It is also optimised for Apple Intelligence, which enhances productivity and privacy. The new Mac Studio is available for pre-order today, with general availability starting March 12.
The M4 Max version of Mac Studio is designed for video editors, developers, engineers, and creative professionals. It features a 16-core CPU, a 40-core GPU, and over 500GB/s of memory bandwidth, making it significantly faster than the M1 Max-based Mac Studio. Apple reports that the M4 Max delivers up to 3.5x the performance of the M1 Max model and is 6.1x faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac. With up to 128GB of unified memory, users can handle complex workflows, including large-scale image processing and high-resolution video editing.
For those needing even greater power, the M3 Ultra version of the Mac Studio is the ultimate professional desktop. It boasts an up to 32-core CPU, an 80-core GPU, and 800GB/s of memory bandwidth, delivering nearly twice the performance of M4 Max in multi-threaded workloads. Apple claims that Mac Studio with M3 Ultra is 2.6x faster than its M1 Ultra predecessor and 6.4x faster than the Intel Xeon-based Mac Pro. It supports up to 512GB of unified memory, the highest ever in a personal computer, making it a game-changer for AI, video production, and 3D rendering.
Apple has upgraded the Mac Studio’s connectivity with Thunderbolt 5, offering speeds up to 120 Gb/s, three times faster than the previous generation. This allows for faster external storage, expansion chassis, and multi-display setups. The M3 Ultra model can drive up to eight Pro Display XDRs at full 6K resolution, making it ideal for professionals who require extensive screen real estate. The Mac Studio also includes a 10Gb Ethernet port, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, built-in Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, providing a well-rounded set of connectivity options.
The new Mac Studio runs on macOS Sequoia, offering features like iPhone Mirroring, enhanced window management, and a redesigned Safari experience. With Apple Intelligence, users can take advantage of AI-powered writing tools, priority notifications, live transcription, and ChatGPT integration in Siri. Apple ensures that privacy remains a top priority, using on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute to handle AI tasks securely.
| Feature | Mac Studio with M4 Max | Mac Studio with M3 Ultra |
| CPU | 16-core | 32-core (24 performance cores) |
| GPU | 40-core | 80-core |
| Neural Engine | 3x faster than M1 Max | 32-core for AI/ML tasks |
| Memory | Up to 128GB unified memory | Up to 512GB unified memory |
| Feature | Mac Studio with M4 Max | Mac Studio with M3 Ultra |
| Storage | Up to 16TB SSD | Up to 16TB SSD |
| Memory Bandwidth | 500GB/s+ | 800GB/s+ |
| Connectivity | Thunderbolt 5, 10Gb Ethernet, HDMI, SDXC | Thunderbolt 5, 10Gb Ethernet, HDMI, SDXC |
| AI Performance | Runs LLMs efficiently | Handles 600B+ parameter models in memory |
| Display Support | Multiple 6K displays | Up to 8 Pro Display XDRs at 6K resolution |
Published - March 06, 2025 09:54 am IST
