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Apple’s Mac Studio gets supercharged with M2 Max and M2 Ultra options

The brand's most powerful desktop machines get even more powerful thanks to upgraded chipsets.

Connor Jewiss Follow @connorjewiss

Dan Grabham Follow @dangrabham

5 June 2023 / 18:22 BST6 June 2023 / 09:23 BST

Last year, Apple threw out the curveball of the Mac Studio. This more compact desktop computer packed the power of Apple’s silicon processors, but with the footprint of the tiny Mac mini. Aimed at creatives, the computer quickly realised itself as the most powerful desktop device Apple had made to date. And the Mac Studio is getting even more powerful, thanks to an M2-powered upgrade launched at WWDC 2023 costing from $1999.

The chief upgrade with the Mac Studio is the chipset. Apple is ramping up the power, with new M2 versions of its Max and Ultra processors. The new M2 Max has a 12-core CPU and 30-core GPU, with support for up to 96 GB of RAM. While M2 Ultra doubles these numbers, with a 24-core CPU, plus up to 76-core GPU for those that need some serious power.

Apple says that Mac Studio is up to 4x faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac with M2 Ultra being 3x faster than M1 Ultra. Apple also says it’s up to 50% faster than last year’s model for doing a task such as rendering using Adobe After Effects. The most powerful spec offers up to a whopping 192GB of unified memory.

Design-wise, there’s not too much different with the new Mac Studio. The compact desktop box still packs additional IO up front for easier wired connections and plenty of ports on the rear. The HDMI port has been upgraded, too, with higher-bandwidth HDMI, enabling up to 8K resolution and 240Hz frame rates plus there’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. It can support up to six Pro Display XDR displays with over 100 million pixels.

Want one on your desk? Prices start from $1999/£2099 for the M2 Max version, and climb to $3999/£4199 for the M2 Ultra model. They’ll be shipped to pre-order customers and available in Apple Stores from the 13th of June.

Read more: What’s next for Mac?

About

Connor is a writer for Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. He has been writing for around six years now, with writing across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech. Just like everyone else around here, he’s a fan of gadgets of all sorts! Aside from writing, Connor is involved in the startup scene. This exciting involvement puts him at the front of new and exciting tech, always on the lookout for innovating products.