The new Mac Studio features M2 Max and the new M2 Ultra chip to deliver a huge boost in performance and connectivity in a stunningly compact design that lives right on the desk.
Mac Studio features up to 192GB of unified memory, which is 50 percent more than before. It’s now up to 6x faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac, and up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Mac Studio with M1 Ultra. With the new Mac Studio, any pro can build the studio of their dreams.
I’ve been testing an M2 Ultra unit of the 2023 Mac Studio with a 24-core CPU, 76-core GPU, 128GB of memory, and 4TB of storage. And test I did.
The M2 Ultra features 20 billion more transistors than the M1 Ultra did and can be specced higher, supporting 192GB of unified memory where the M1 went up to 128GB. The M2 Ultra can also be configured with a 24-core GPU and 76-Core GPU, whereas the M1 was limited to a 20-core CPU and a 64-core GPU. That’s more relevant to this review since I received the absolute top-specced M2 Ultra chip that one can get; we’re essentially seeing, all else being equal, how much additional performance those extra cores really deliver.
The biggest increase is in graphic performance; those extra cores are putting in the work. The differences in Geekbench’s GPU benchmarks, using both Metal and Open CL, were between 20 and 50 percent higher across trials than they were on the M1 Ultra.
The M2 Ultra also showed an 18-ish percent increase over the M1 Ultra on the Xcode Benchmark, which measures compilation time. That kind of saved time could certainly add up for busy developers.
This is an impressive technological achievement. It improves upon the M1 Ultra. And on face, this is a great, if expensive, computer. The increased graphical power, in particular, is nothing to sneeze at… I love machines that make it easier for people to do their jobs. Upgrading to this machine could give busy professionals a good chunk of their day back (those halved export times will add up if you’re exporting all day, every day) and could potentially make business sense.
MacDailyNews Note: Check out the 2023 M2 Ultra Mac Studio and Mac Pro results for Geekbench 6 CPU benchmarks here.
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I heard when M3 gets down to 3nm, Apple will be able to merge 4 of the Max chips to create a double-Ultra variant, maybe call it M3 Extreme. And it would be the exclusive high-end option for the Mac Pro. That makes Mac Pro make sense again as the ultimate Mac, not a huge Mac Studio with PCIe slots.
Yeah, I suspect the ‘MacPro’ will get a redesign on the next go-around, similar to how they rolled out Apple silicon in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air…new chip first, new body later. Keeps Apple in the news and keeps the product looking fresh.