Which MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac mini, or Mac Pro should you buy?

Note: This model hasn’t been updated since 2023. An update is expected in 2025.

What is it? The Mac Studio joined Apple’s Mac lineup in March 2022 and was updated in June 2023 when it gained the M2 Max and M2 Ultra. It’s a desktop “modular” Mac that’s more powerful (and more expensive) than the Mac mini and similarly specced to the Mac Pro, but lacking the Mac Pro’s expansion options.

Who’s it for? The Mac Studio is for the user who wants the maximum processing power. It’s not the only powerful Mac available–the Mac Pro also runs on the M2 Ultra–but it is the cheapest way to get either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra chips. If you want the expansion options of the Mac Pro then you’ll want to look elsewhere, but the Mac Studio brings all the power usually reserved for the ultimate Mac in a small package.

How much does the Mac Studio cost? There are two standard configurations starting at $1,999/£2,099 (was £1,999) for the Mac Studio M2 Max with 30-core GPU and 512GB SSD, and $3,999/£4,199 (was £3,999) for the Mac Studio M2 Ultra with 60-core GPU and 1TB SSD. There are also build-to-order options that include a 76-core GPU, up to 192GB Unified Memory, and 8TB SSD. Fully maxed out a Mac Studio would cost $8,799/£8,999.

What are the specifications? The Mac Studio uses either the M2 Max or M2 Ultra processors. Apple offers two standard configurations:

• Apple M2 Max SoC with a 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 32GB of memory, and a 16-core Neural Engine; 512GB SSD, $1,999/£2,099
• Apple M2 Ultra SoC with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 64GB of memory, and a 32-core Neural Engine; 1TB SSD, $3,999/£4,199
• Additional options: M2 Ultra SoC with a 76-core GPU, up to 192GB unified memory, and up to 8TB SSD.

The Mac Studio does not include a display, keyboard, or mouse, so you’ll have to provide your own, or you can customize your order to include these devices as extra-cost options. Apple released the Studio Display at the same time as the original Mac Studio, but it can be used with third-party displays, too. 

How do I connect stuff? 

The Mac Studio has the following ports:

• M2 Max: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back; two USB-C ports on the front.
• M2 Ultra: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back; two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the front.
• SDXC Card slot on the front.
• Two USB-A ports.
• 10Gb ethernet.
• HDMI 2.0.
• 3.5 mm headphone jack (with advanced support for high-impedance headphones, a feature lacked by the M1-series models)
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E (was 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 in predecessor)
• Bluetooth 5.3 (was Bluetooth 5.0 in predecessor)

Thunderbolt supports USB-C and USB-4.

To connect to a network, you can use the built-in ethernet port, or you can use Wi-Fi, which comes standard.

To connect a display, you can use the HDMI 2.0 port or a Thunderbolt port. You might have to buy an adapter if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt. You can connect up to eight 4K displays, six 6K displays, or three 8K displays to the M2 Ultra. The M2 Max supports fewer displays.

How fast is it? Despite the arrival of the M3 Max, the M2 Max Mac Studio is a very fast Mac at a very competitive price point. Once Apple adds the M3 Max as an option Its speed will be equal to that of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that feature the M3 Max, but even now it costs a fraction of the price: $1,999 compared to $3,199/£3,299 for the 14-inch and $3,599/£3,699 for the 16-inch, making it an excellent choice for anyone on a budget.

Even with the arrival of the M3 Max, the M2 Ultra Mac Studio is Apple’s fastest chip, both in CPU and GPU speed. We expect that when the M3 Ultra arrives the speed gains will be great.

Macworld’s buying advice: The Mac Studio is ideal for users who use processor- and graphics-intensive apps, such as media production, software development, graphics software, and more. If you find yourself spending a lot of time watching progress bars while you work, you’ll benefit from the power of the Mac Studio. The only question is whether you can wait until Apple upgrades the processors to M3 Max and M3 Ultra, which we anticipate happening around WWDC in June 2024.

The only disadvantage is that the Mac Studio relies on external connections for expandability. If you want a pro-level Mac with the ability to swap expansion cards you should look at Apple silicon-based Mac Pro below. Also read: Why Mac professionals should switch to a Mac Studio.