In addition to unveiling the new MacBook Air with the M4 chip, Apple also introduced updated versions of its Mac Studio, featuring the M4 Max and the all-new M3 Ultra, Apple’s most powerful chip to date.
This compact desktop Mac is designed for video editors, developers, engineers, photographers, creative professionals, and anyone seeking the most powerful Mac available.
The base Mac Studio comes equipped with the M4 Max chip, can be configure up to 16-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It includes 36GB of unified memory as standard, which can be upgraded to 128GB with a bandwidth of 546GB/s. Storage options start at 512GB and can be expanded up to 8TB.
The M3 Ultra chip takes performance to the next level with up to 32-core CPU, up to 80-core GPU, and a 32-core Neural Engine. Apple’s most powerful desktop now starts with 36GB of unified memory, configurable up to 512GB with an impressive 800GB/s bandwidth. Storage can also be expanded up to a massive 16TB SSD.
Apple claims the M3 Ultra delivers 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.6x faster GPU rendering compared to the M1 Ultra. Additionally, Apple highlighted that the M3 Ultra Mac Studio can handle large language models (LLMs) with over 600 billion parameters entirely in memory.
For workflows, the new M3 Ultra Mac Studio supports up to 24 streams of 8K ProRes video playback with H.264, HEVC, and ProRes encode and decode capabilities. It can also connect to up to eight displays simultaneously.
Both the M4 Max and M3 Ultra Mac Studios feature four Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports on the back, with the M3 Ultra model adding two more of the same ports on the front.
The rear panel also includes two USB-A ports, one HDMI 2.1, one 10GB/s Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
On the front, you’ll find a UHS-II SDXC card reader. However, wireless connectivity remains limited to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Pricing and Availability
Apple Malaysia said customers can get their hands on the Mac Studio “soon” without specifying when is the release date.
The Mac Studio starts at RM8,999 for the M4 Max model, while the M3 Ultra starts at RM17,999.