Imagine editing 8K video in real-time, effortlessly training complex AI models, or rendering stunning 3D graphics without your desktop breaking a sweat. Yes, Apple’s first Mac announcements of 2025 featured feathery new MacBook Air models with M4 processors. However, the monolithic new Mac Studio, equipped with either the blazing-fast M4 Max or the imposing new dual-die M3 Ultra chip, demands a closer look.
The Mac Studio has been the choice for professionals since its introduction in 2022, but these new models take the compact powerhouse to a new level. The latest Mac Studios can rip through 8K footage, blaze through 3D renderings, and power the most capable AI models—even running them locally.
Apple’s latest ultra-desktop raises the question: Is it time to upgrade if you already have an earlier Mac Studio? That largely depends on your workload and whether your current Studio can still keep up. Let’s dig into it.
What’s New in the 2025 Mac Studio?
The new Mac Studio looks just like earlier versions: an aluminum block measuring 7.7 by 7.7 inches square and just 3.7 inches tall. With rounded corners and a nearly featureless front, the desktop weighs 6.1 pounds with the M4 Max inside, and 8 pounds for the M3 Ultra model. The Ultra model is heavier because of additional cooling hardware inside. (The M1 Max-based Mac Studio used aluminum cooling blocks in the lower-end model and copper in the top-tier builds; I suspect, without having seen or torn open the new models, that that’s still the case.)
(Credit: Apple)
Of course, the most significant upgrade in the new Studio desktops is the choice between two new chips: the M4 Max, and the M3 Ultra. Both processors drive substantial performance gains over previous generations. The upgraded processing also unlocks further expanded core counts and memory capacity.
The connectivity has also been updated. The M3 Ultra-based Mac Studio has six Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, each supporting up to 120Gbps transfer speeds, with four on the back and two up front. The M4 Max model also has six USB-C ports, but just the back four are Thunderbolt 5; its front two are ordinary 10Gbps USB-C. Those Thunderbolt ports are fast enough for the most demanding high-bandwidth storage and accessories.
(Credit: Apple)
Of course, the Mac Studio takes full advantage of macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence. The new operating system includes iPhone Mirroring, improved window management, and on-device AI functions like image upscaling, video captioning, and generative text support.
Is the Mac Studio Right for You in the First Place?
One of the first things to consider when purchasing a Mac Studio, whether it’s an upgrade or your first one, is your individual use case and whether the latest models deliver in the specific ways you need them most. The new M4 Max, for example, is especially well-suited to content creation and (secondarily) gaming, thanks to Apple’s improved graphics processing, such as boosts to mesh shading and second-generation ray tracing.
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The M3 Ultra, on the other hand, is better suited to highly demanding parallel processing. Its outsize core counts and massive memory capacity make it ideal for developers working on cutting-edge AI models and other machine-learning workloads, which actually tap into the chip’s top-end processing power and memory.
You need to consider this dynamic within the context of your existing Mac Studio hardware situation. If you have an early Mac Studio with an M1 Max, then this decision is likely easier than if you’re working with an M2 Max model, where the performance gains will be smaller, comparatively speaking. Regardless, let’s zoom in further.
M4 Max and M3 Ultra: Hot New Chips, Screaming Speed
M1, M2, M3, M4: The processing hardware is the primary difference between old and new Mac Studio models.
The M4 Max is the latest high-performance variant of Apple’s fourth-generation M-series processor, but it’s not brand new. In late 2024, the M4 Max landed first in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. These chips feature up to 16 CPU cores, combining 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores for efficient processing across various scenarios.
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Refinements in Apple’s core architecture and partner TSMC’s 3-nanometer manufacturing process boosted the individual cores’ single-core performance. The M4 Max has up to 40 GPU cores on the die, delivering the equivalent of a discrete GPU in raw graphics performance but benefiting from efficiencies gained by sharing a die with the CPU. The chip supports up to 128GB of unified memory, and Apple has repeatedly called the M4 Max its fastest singular processor yet.
(Credit: Apple)
Apple’s second-gen ray tracing and hardware-accelerated mesh shading boost graphics performance. These capabilities combine with the high GPU core counts to deliver the same level of graphics you would expect from similarly priced gaming and workstation desktops. The Mac Studio delivers the best graphics performance of any Mac and rivals top-flight PC competitors.
(Apple Mac Studio)
The M3 Ultra, on the other hand, takes what was the M3 Max and doubles it up using Apple’s UltraFusion technology. UltraFusion essentially connects two M3 Max chips via an ultra-low-latency silicon interconnect. The silicon interposer that connects the dies of the two chips bridges the two with over 10,000 high-speed signals, allowing bandwidth up to an incredible 2.5TB per second between the chips. Whether you need power for editing video, rendering 3D models and scenes in RedShift, sequencing DNA, compiling code, or running DeepSeek on your desktop, this is the chip built to do it.
The M3 Max was no slouch to begin with, but this unified design allows two M3 Max dies to function as a single chip, recognized in software as a single processor. M3 Ultra requires no changes to software while doubling resources for a stunning 32 CPU cores, a mountainous 80 GPU cores, and up to 512GB of memory. That’s powerful enough for 24 streams of 8K ProRes video playing simultaneously and instantaneously decoding H.264, HEVC, and ProRes footage.
The result is dramatically powerful performance and extremely efficient energy use compared with traditional multi-chip solutions. Since the fused pair of chips appears as a single SoC, app developers don’t need to rewrite their code or optimize the app to leverage that additional performance. Performance just scales up without losing efficiency or usability.
When comparing the outgoing Mac Studio models with the latest, the key points to focus on are their chips’ manufacturing processes and their memory resources. For instance, the M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra were 5nm chips compared with the 3nm process used for M4 Max and M3 Ultra. Because CPU and GPU core counts haven’t vastly increased generation over generation if at all, the increase in overall transistor count per core becomes critical.
I will update this as I thoroughly evaluate the Mac Studio’s performance, but I anticipate marked performance gains in the new models versus the M1 Max and M2 Max models we’ve reviewed.
Memory and Storage: An Ocean of Data at Your Command
Along with better processing comes expanded support for memory and storage. The base Mac Studio configuration with the M4 Max chip starts with 36GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD, but these are paltry allotments compared with the M4 Max’s ceiling. You can configure the Mac Studio with up to 128GB of RAM, and the storage scales even higher, up to 8TB.
But the M3 Ultra takes this to new zeniths. The base configuration has an impressive 96GB of memory, its minimum outsizing the maximum that many high-performance desktops can support via traditional DDR DIMM slots. The desktop also comes with 1TB of SSD storage in the base model. However, its RAM can scale up to an astonishing 512GB, with its storage configurable up to 16TB.
Because of the similarities in core counts between generations, the improvements in Apple’s architecture and TSMC’s manufacturing process from 5nm to 3nm hit center stage, unlocking that access to faster and more capacious memory.
The only caveat to these massive memory and storage options is pricing. A fully configured Mac Studio with topped-out RAM and storage rings up at more than $14,000.
Connectivity: Thunderbolt 5 and Beyond
Connectivity also benefits from the new silicon, specifically the addition of Thunderbolt 5 support. Again, four Thunderbolt 5 ports are on the back of the M4 Max version, and all six USB-C ports on the front and back of the M3 Ultra Mac Studio support the new standard. The outgoing M2-based Mac Studio has Thunderbolt 4, which is still relevant but not future-proofed.
(Credit: Lily Yeh; Apple)
Thunderbolt 5 still supports DisplayPort and power delivery for monitors and other devices, but the real treat is the transfer rates, with up to 120Gbps of data. Whether used for massive external storage, connecting external enclosures that can host PCI Express expansion cards, or running multiple 8K displays, Thunderbolt 5 handles it all. That’s as much as three times faster than Thunderbolt 4, giving you unprecedented flexibility for peripherals and other hardware.
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In addition, the Mac Studio features a 10Gbps Ethernet port, a full-size HDMI output, an SDXC card slot, dual USB Type-A ports, and a headphone jack. The new Mac Studios have Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity.
Apple Intelligence and Machine Learning Improvements? Thank the Memory
While the M3 Ultra version of the Mac Studio is better suited for AI and machine-learning tasks, both new Mac Studio models provide a massive increase in capability.
(Credit: Apple)
Apple optimized both chips for Apple Intelligence, which includes on-device AI processing of text and images, enhanced privacy, and the ability to run large language models locally on the device. This is especially true of the M3 Ultra, thanks to its outsize memory resources, but it applies to both.
Since core counts within Apple’s 16-core (or 32-core Ultra variant) Neural Engine coprocessor haven’t changed since the M1 was introduced, the additional memory bandwidth and capacity is what enables faster generative AI processing and entirely locally run AI models purely on system memory.
Should You Pay to Upgrade to macOS Sequoia?
Apple’s macOS Sequoia may be new, but you can get it on several other Mac models, all the way back to the 2022 Mac Studio. So, while the latest software and an improved user experience are pluses if you buy a new system, it’s hardly reason alone to plunk down money for an upgrade. The latest version of macOS is always available for free to every Mac that supports it.
(Credit: Apple)
The Price of Power: Is It Worth the Investment?
Finally, let’s talk about pricing. The Mac Studio with the M4 Max chip starts at $1,999, while the step-up M3 Ultra model roughly doubles that entry point, starting at $3,999. But these are just base prices, and significant cost increases come as you configure the system with more RAM, additional CPU and GPU cores, and more internal storage.
(Credit: Apple)
The Takeaway: Upgrading From M1 Is an Easier Decision Than From M2
Apple’s new 2025 Mac Studio models deliver a compelling mix of improved performance, expanded connectivity, and support for deeper AI uses. Regardless, whether you should upgrade depends heavily on your individual needs, and on your current Apple hardware.
If you’re using the 2022 Mac Studio with the M1 Max or Ultra chip, the performance gains offered by either of these new processors will likely be breathtaking. The improvement will significantly speed up your workflows, especially in demanding tasks like video editing and 3D rendering.
However, this decision is not as clear-cut if you have the 2023 Mac Studio with an M2 Max or Ultra. The M4 Max will drive a noticeable performance improvement over the M2 Max, but that jump in capability may not be worth the high price of this premium machine. If your current hardware is getting the job done, it’s worth asking yourself whether you should wait for the next M-series chips. However, the M3 Ultra presents a giant leap forward, and even though it’s even more expensive, the value proposition is more straightforward. It will be worth the investment if you need the most extreme processing power for bleeding-edge computing work.
Professional users should ask themselves whether their current Mac Studio is struggling to keep up with the demands of their workflow or creating a bottleneck that slows down their biggest projects. Suppose you’re embarking on new projects that require more processing muscle, memory for multitasking and speed, or significantly more storage. In that case, the new Mac Studio models provide the headroom to meet new demands and keep up with future growth.
I would recommend video editors, graphic designers, and 3D artists start their upgrade search with the M4 Max Mac Studio, whereas 3D software developers, data scientists, and researchers working with AI and machine learning might want to skip to the M3 Ultra model. It’s usually worth investing in top-flight hardware in these fields, and the new Mac Studio desktops are top-tier workstations.
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About Brian Westover
Lead Analyst, Hardware
