Source: Apple
It might be compact, but it's not designed to be underestimated. Apple's most significant announcement at its Peek Performance event is a Mac Mini-like new device. Apple dubs it the Mac Studio, a compact desktop system that packs in so much power the company confidently proclaims it can be faster than even the most premium Mac Pro.
The new Mac Studio runs on either the M1 Max chip or the new, more powerful M1 Ultra. The Ultra packs features like support for up to 128GB of memory, a 20-core CPU with 16 high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, a 64-core GPU, and a 32-core neural engine. And the company claims it is "nearly" eight times faster than the M1.
According to Apple, the Mac Studio with M1 Max will deliver 50 percent faster CPU performance than the Mac Pro with a 16-core Xeon, while the M1 Ultra-powered Mac Studio will be up to 90 percent faster. And the M1 Max model is 2.5 times faster than the 27-inch iMac with 10-core i9, while the M1 Ultra variant is 3.8 times faster.
Source: Apple
As a machine designed for creatives, it gets the essential ports you need. It has four Thunderbolt 4 ports and 10Gb Ethernet, two USB-A, an HDMI, and an audio jack at the back. In front, there are two USB-C ports (10Gbps on M1 Max and 40Gbps/Thunderbolt 4 on M1 Ultra) and an SD card slot. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 and supports up to four Pro Display XDRs and a 4K TV. Apple also launched a new Studio Display that is compatible with this system.
The Apple Mac Studio is now available for preorder. The M1 Max model starts at $2,499, while the M1 Ultra starts at $4,999. The preorders will arrive beginning March 18, at least for the M1 Max model. The M1 Ultra is listed to arrive between April 1 and 8.