The Mac Studio is a small-form-factor workstation computer developed and marketed by Apple. It is Apple's professional Mac desktop, sitting above the consumer-range Mac Mini and iMac. It is configurable with either the M4 Max or M3 Ultra system on a chip.
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| Developer | Apple |
|---|---|
Product family | Macintosh |
| Type | Compact desktop Workstation |
| Released | March 18, 2022 |
| macOS | |
| Apple M series | |
| Related | Mac Mini, Mac Pro |
| Website | apple.com/mac-studio |
Overview
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The Mac Studio is a desktop personal computer, designed to sit above the consumer-level Mac Mini and iMac.[1][2] The computer's enclosure is made from extruded aluminum, with a width and depth of 7.7 inches (200 mm) and a height of 3.7 inches (94 mm).[3] The Mac Studio is powered by either a Max or Ultra variant of Apple's M-series silicon. Mac Studio models with the Ultra SoC are heavier than the Max-equipped models, as they feature copper heat sinks rather than aluminum.[4] The machines are cooled by double-sided blowers that draw air from the bottom of the case and expel it through the back.[3][5]
Input/output devices are attached through ports on the front and back of the computer. The front panel has two USB-C ports and an SD card slot, while the back has an additional four USB-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and a headphone jack.[citation needed] On Max-equipped Mac Studios, the back USB-C ports are Thunderbolt; on the Ultra models, the front USB-C ports are Thunderbolt-equipped as well.[3] The Mac Studio features no PCIe slots or forms of expansion other than through attached peripherals, and most internal components cannot be upgraded after the fact.[citation needed] The Mac Studio has removable solid-state storage modules.[6][7] It is possible to swap or upgrade these modules, though it requires a second computer to run Apple Configurator and set up the Mac Studio with its new storage.[8]
Development
editApple conceived of the Mac Studio as a product for creative professionals, who they noted were increasingly focused on multiple disciplines rather than very specific workloads. "[Before] if you wanted the pinnacle of performance in the personal computer space, you had to buy a very big, noisy tower that sat on the floor under your desk," product marketing executive Tom Boger recalled. Apple's idea was taking the amount of power and putting it in a dramatically smaller size.[9] Apple had previously created similar miniature computers with the Power Mac G4 Cube and the 2013 Mac Pro.
Release
edit
The Mac Studio was initially offered in two ARM-based system on a chip (SoC): an M1 Max or the M1 Ultra, which combines two M1 Max chips in one package.[10][11] Apple said the Mac Studio performed 50 percent faster than a Mac Pro with a 16-core Intel Xeon processor.[5]
The Mac Studio was introduced alongside the Apple Studio Display, a 27-inch 5K monitor with an integrated 12 megapixel camera, six-speaker sound system with spatial audio and Dolby Atmos support and a height adjustable stand.[5] Customers reported months-long shipping delays for the Mac Studio, attributed to a global chip shortage.[12][13]
On June 5, 2023, during WWDC, Apple introduced updated Mac Studio models based on the M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. Updates include Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E, the capability of running up to six 6K monitors, and support for 8K displays over Thunderbolt and HDMI.[14]
On March 5, 2025, updated Mac Studio models were announced with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, which began shipping on March 12. Updates include support for AV1 decoding, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Thunderbolt 5, with memory configurable up to 512 GB and storage configurable up to 16 TB on the M3 Ultra models.[15] Despite the M4 chips being a newer generation than the M3 chips, the M3 Ultra was included in the high-end model due to there being no existing Ultra chips in the M4 line.[16] The 512 GB option was removed in March 2026, and the 256 GB option in May 2026, likely due to the ongoing global memory supply shortage.[17][18]
Reception
editThe Mac Studio received positive reviews on release. Digital Photography Review's review called the machine "the Apple desktop we've been waiting for", citing the previous lack of a "pro Mac mini" offering,[19] while writers such as The Wirecutter's Dave Gershgorn and Jason Snell noted the Studio filled a midrange role that had long been missing from Apple's product lineup.[20][21] Reviews highlighted that it would not appeal to users with modest power requirements.[21] Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham considered it a nearly perfect desktop workstation that served that role better than the Intel-based iMacs Apple had previously offered,[22] while The Verge's Monica Chin called the Studio "the computer professional Mac users have been waiting for."[23]
The Studio's physical appearance was called understated and frequently compared to a taller Mac mini or stacked Apple TVs.[24] The machine was praised for its number of ports, especially compared to other Apple products.[23][21][5] Reviewer Brenda Stoylar noted that the machine tended to slide on certain surfaces due to the slippery underside if not held in place while inserting cables.[5] Reviews noted the machine's quiet operation under heavy loads.[24][23][21]
Reviewers comparing the product to Apple's other offerings found that the machine offered much more performance for less cost than the MacBook Pro line, although depending if the customer needed to buy a display and more peripherals, the price calculus changed.[19][5] Reviews noted the Ultra-equipped Mac Studios came with a large price premium but would not necessarily deliver equivalent performance.[22] Other complaints included the high cost of upgrades, particularly storage, and the fact that performance could be upgraded down the line.[21]
When the M1-equipped models were released, reviews from Wired and The Verge found the Studio bested the Intel Mac Pro in performance.[23][5] Performance evaluations found that it performed equivalently or better than competing PCs in most tasks, although game performance was weaker. Comparisons between the Studio and Mac Pro noted that unless users needed PCIe slots or a cleaner setup, the Studio offered equivalent power for much less.[5][25][26]
Specifications
edit| Model | 2022[27] | 2023[28] | 2025[29] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced date | March 8, 2022 | June 5, 2023 | March 5, 2025 | |||
| Released date | March 18, 2022 | June 13, 2023 | March 12, 2025 | |||
| Discontinued date | June 5, 2023 | March 5, 2025 | In production | |||
| Chip | 10-core Apple M1 Max 24-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine Configurable to 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine |
20-core Apple M1 Ultra 48-core GPU 32-core Neural Engine Configurable to 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine |
12-core Apple M2 Max 30-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine Configurable to 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine |
24-core Apple M2 Ultra 60-core GPU 32-core Neural Engine Configurable to 24-core CPU, 76-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine |
14-core Apple M4 Max 32-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine Configurable to 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine |
28-core Apple M3 Ultra 60-core GPU 32-core Neural Engine Configurable to 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine |
| Memory | 32 GB Configurable to 64 GB |
64 GB Configurable to 128 GB |
32 GB Configurable up to 96 GB |
64 GB Configurable to 192 GB |
36 GB Configurable up to 64 GB (128 GB until May 5, 2026) |
96 GB Configurable up to 512 GB until March 4, 2026;[30] 256 GB until May 5, 2026[31] |
| Storage | 512 GB (Max) or 1 TB (Ultra) SSD Configurable up to 8 TB |
512 GB (Max) or 1 TB (Ultra) SSD Configurable up to 8 TB (16 TB for Ultra) | ||||
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.0 |
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.3 | ||||
| Connectivity | 4× USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4 ) 2× USB-C ports (10 Gbps) 2× USB-A ports (5 Gbps) 1× HDMI 2.0 10 GbE 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot |
6× USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4) 2× USB-A ports (5 Gbps) 1× HDMI 2.0 10GbE 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot |
4× USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4) 2× USB-C ports (10 Gbps) 2× USB-A ports (5Gbps) 1× HDMI 2.1 10 GbE 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot |
6× USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4) 2× USB-A ports (5 Gbps) 1× HDMI 2.1 10 GbE 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot |
4× USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 5) 2× USB-C ports (10 Gbps) 2× USB-A ports (5 Gbps) 1× HDMI 2.1 10 GbE 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot |
6× USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 5) 2× USB-A ports (5 Gbps) 1× HDMI 2.1 10 GbE 3.5 mm headphone jack SDXC card slot |
| Power | 370 W | 480 W | ||||
| Dimensions | 3.7 in (9.4 cm) x 7.7 in (20 cm) x 7.7 in (20 cm) | |||||
| Weight | 5.9 lb (2.68 kg) | 7.9 lb (3.58 kg) | 5.9 lb (2.68 kg) | 7.9 lb (3.58 kg) | 6.1 lb (2.77 kg) | 8.0 lb (3.63 kg) |
| Greenhouse gas emissions | 262 kg CO2e (32 GB memory and 512 GB storage)[32] | 375 kg CO2e (64 GB memory and 1 TB storage) | 290 kg CO2e (32 GB memory and 512 GB storage)[33] | 346 kg CO2e (64 GB memory and 1 TB storage) | 276 kg CO2e (36 GB memory and 512 GB storage)[33] | 382 kg CO2e (96 GB memory and 1 TB storage) |
Software and operating systems
editThe macOS operating system has been pre-installed on all Mac Studio computers since release, starting with version macOS Monterey, which is the first release of macOS to ship with the original Mac Studio.
| OS release | 2022 | 2023 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Monterey | 12.2 | N/a | N/a |
| 13 Ventura |  |
13.4 | N/a |
| 14 Sonoma | |
|
N/a |
| 15 Sequoia | |
|
15.2 |
| 26 Tahoe | |
|
|
| Timeline of Power Macintosh, Pro, and Studio models |
|---|
 |
References
edit- ↑ "Mac studio: Everything we know about Apple's powerful new desktop computer". The Independent. March 11, 2022. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Apple's Mac Studio Is the iMac Pro Reboot You've Been Waiting For". PCMAG. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- 1 2 3 Westover, Brian (March 17, 2022). "Apple Mac Studio (M1 Max) Review". PCMag. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Apple explains why the M1 Ultra-equipped Mac Studio is two pounds heavier". The Verge. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stoylar, Brenda (March 17, 2022). "Review: Apple Mac Studio and Studio Display". Wired. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ Porter, Jon (March 24, 2022). "iFixit teardown offers a detailed look inside the Mac Studio and Studio Display". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ↑ Cunningham, Andrew (March 22, 2022). "Explaining the Mac Studio's removable SSDs, and why you can't simply swap them out". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ↑ Loyola, Roman (December 5, 2024). "The first Mac Studio SSD upgrade is here for way less than Apple's prices". Macworld. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Wiggins, Peter (March 24, 2022). "Apple: How the Mac Studio Was Built for the New Generation of Creative Pros". FCP.co. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Apple's new M1 Ultra aims to beat Nvidia's RTX 3090". The Verge. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Apple M1 Ultra Chip Is Nearly 3 Times Bigger Than AMD's Ryzen CPUs, Benchmarks Show Desktop Intel & AMD CPUs Still Ahead". wccftech.com. March 19, 2022. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ↑ "Delivery Estimates for Mac Studio and Studio Display Slip to April". Mac Rumors. March 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Mac Studio shipping dates already slipping to April and May". Apple Insider. March 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ↑ "Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ↑ Cunningham, Andrew (March 5, 2025). "Apple intros new Mac Studio models with M4 Max and… M3 Ultra?". Ars Technica. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Apple announces M3 Ultra—and says not every generation will see an "Ultra" chip". March 5, 2025.
- ↑ Cunningham, Andrew (March 6, 2026). "Apple's 512GB Mac Studio vanishes, a quiet acknowledgment of the RAM shortage". Ars Technica. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
- ↑ Price, David (May 6, 2026). "Apple cuts more Mac options amid ongoing memory shortages". Macworld. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
- 1 2 Cade, DL (March 17, 2022). "Apple Mac Studio review: The Apple desktop we've been waiting for". Digital Photography Review. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Snell, Jason (March 17, 2022). "Mac Studio review: Something new". Six Colors. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gershgorn, Dave (March 17, 2022). "The Apple Mac Studio Looks Like a Mini, Performs Like a Pro". The Wirecutter. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Cunningham, Andrew (March 17, 2022). "Review: The Mac Studio shows us exactly why Apple left Intel behind". Ars Technica. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Chin, Monica (March 17, 2022). "Apple Mac Studio review: finally". The Verge. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Wawro, Alex (March 17, 2022). "Apple Mac Studio review: This is fast". Tom's Guide. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- ↑ Trevisan, Thiago (October 10, 2023). "Mac Pro vs Mac Studio: Why Mac pros should switch to a Mac Studio". Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ Osborne, Joe (June 12, 2023). "Apple Mac Studio (M2 Ultra, 2023) Review". PCMag. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Mac Studio (2022) – Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ↑ "Mac Studio (2023) – Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ↑ "Mac Studio (2025) – Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ↑ Clover, Juli (March 5, 2026). "Mac Studio 512GB RAM Option Disappears Amid Global DRAM Shortage". MacRumors. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Hall, Zac (May 5, 2026). "Apple's most powerful Mac Studio loses its last remaining RAM upgrade option". 9to5Mac. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Product Environmental Report Mac Studio (2022)" (PDF). Apple. March 18, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- 1 2 "Product Environmental Report Mac Studio (2025)" (PDF). Apple. March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
