Although many of us expected the arrival of a high-end Mac mini, the latest rumors that pointed to the arrival of a Mac for creative professionals have turned out to be true. The Mac Studio is here, which promises power, extensive connectivity and a modular system.
With a starting price of €2,329, the new Mac is reminiscent of the G4 Cube from 2000. It will remind some of the Mac Pro introduced in 2013, although this time it comes accompanied by the Studio Display, with a huge 27-inch Retina 5K screen. .
Inside the Mac Studio, we find the M1 Max chip or the M1 Ultra chip, the latest version of Apple’s M1 chip. The latter combines two M1 Max chips on the same die to double the CPU, GPU, and RAM, without increasing latency, bandwidth, or power consumption.
On the other hand, the new Studio Display is Apple’s first consumer display since 2011 and, as you can imagine, it includes some big improvements. The screen uses True Tone and offers a brightness of up to 600 nits. It also includes a 12 MP ultra wide-angle camera, the same as the iPad Air.
When will Mac Studio be released? And the StudioDisplay?
Both the new Mac Studio and the new Studio Display can be purchased now through Apple’s website. After a few days of reservations, the devices finally went on sale officially last March 18th in Spain.
We do not yet know when they will be available in Mexico and the rest of Latin America.
How much do the Mac Studio and Studio Display cost?
The Mac Studio is priced at €2,329 / MXN$51,999 for the base model with the M1 Max chip. If you want the most powerful model, with the M1 Ultra chip, you will have to pay €4,629 / MXN$106,999.
On the other hand, the Studio Display is priced at €1,779 / MXN$39,999 for the model with standard glass, or €2,029 / MXN$47,999 for the model with nano-textured glass.
What features does Mac Studio have?
The Mac Studio is the new Mac designed for professionals who work, as the name suggests, in studios. Thus, we think that Apple wanted to make a new Mac for those professionals in the world of creation, not just for those who want professional functions.
The design of the Mac Studio is a cross between a Mac mini, the G4 Cube and the Mac Pro from 2013. It is also reminiscent of the original Apple TV model. It has dimensions of 19.7 x 19.7 x 9.5 cm and weighs 2.7 kg (or 3.6 kg if you opt for the model with M1 Ultra).
Processor
The M1 Max offers a 10-core CPU (just like the M1 Pro). The M1 Ultra, on the other hand, doubles that down and offers a 20-core CPU with 16 high-performance cores and 4 high-efficiency cores.
Graphics
Until now, the M1 Max was Apple’s most powerful GPU offering. The M1 Max’s GPU offers 32 cores (although there is also a 24-core option).
The M1 Ultra chip combines two M1 Max chips for twice the number of GPU cores. Thus, the arrival of a GPU with neither more nor less than 64 cores is possible.
RAM
The M1 Max chip is supported by 64GB of RAM. That means that, with the M1 Ultra, Apple can offer double the RAM. Thus, you can have up to 128 GB of RAM in a Mac Studio.
Apple chips use a unified memory architecture, which ensures that all components—whether it’s the graphics unit, the main CPU, or multiple auxiliary processors—have immediate access to the same RAM.
As a result, no performance loss due to memory access reshaping can occur.
Ports and peripherals
Not surprisingly, Mac Studio has a nice collection of ports. You can see some of the ports in the image above, but there’s even more on the front, including a card reader.
Like the Mac mini and 24-inch iMac, the Mac Studio also offers USB-3 ports, which is great for those with older devices. There’s also an HDMI 2.0 port.
Also expected is 802.11ac Wi-Fi support and the option of 10Gb Ethernet on the new model.
And what about the Studio Display?
To complement the Mac Studio, Apple has also released a new monitor, known as the Studio Display. You should know that you can connect it with any Mac, so it can be the perfect companion for your MacBook or your Mac mini.
This is the first Mac (even if it’s just a screen) to support Center Framing, which automatically adjusts the frame to keep you centered during video calls. Virtual meetings should be better, too, thanks to three studio-quality microphones and a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio support.
On the back, you’ll find three USB-C ports, one of which is Thunderbolt-compatible for fast data transfer. It can also be used as a 96W power supply, allowing fast charging of the MacBook Pro, for example.
The stand that comes with the Studio Display can tilt the screen up to 30 degrees. If preferred, there is also the option of using an adjustable arm to find the perfect height.
Inside the Studio Display, we find Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. It is designed to be used with the new Mac Studio, which uses the M1 Max or the new M1 Ultra. This also makes many more ports usable.
