Apples Mac Studio M4 Max: The Unmatched Powerhouse Redefining Creative Performance

Опубликовано: 2 апреля, 2025

The Mac Studio stands as Apple’s premier performance machine, and the latest edition features an interesting update: it includes either an M4 Max or an M3 Ultra processor. While at first glance the inclusion of the M3 Ultra may seem less progressive, considering that almost all other Macs (excluding the Mac Pro) are now using M4 chips, it’s important to highlight that the M3 Ultra is Apple’s top-performing chip, making the new Mac Studio their quickest machine to date.

Despite the M3 Ultra version being well-suited for creative professionals and engineers, it begins at $4,000 and can go significantly higher. The benchmarks I came across pique my curiosity about that model. Nevertheless, the M4 Max variant I reviewed is likely to be more appealing to average users, as its base price is half that of the M3 Ultra. For those who perform resource-intensive tasks like video editing or game development, it’s certainly the preferred Mac, and by Apple’s benchmarks, this is a reasonable investment.

Engadget/Apple

91100Expert Score

Apple Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025)

Apple’s Mac Studio remains the company’s most formidable machine and offers exceptional value for content creators.

Pros

Powerful M4 Max or M3 Ultra processors
Ample selection of high-speed ports
Substantial base memory on both versions
Sleek and compact design

Cons

Costly upgrades
Sluggish front USB-C ports on the M4 Max variant

$1,999 at Apple

Hardware

The look of the Mac Studio has remained unchanged since the introduction of the original M1 Ultra model in 2022. This consistency is positive, as its design has stood the test of time and occupies minimal desk space. It is approximately the equivalent of two earlier Mac minis (before the recent update that compressed their size) stacked on top of each other and retains the same sleek aluminum finish. Every aspect offers a premium experience, including the eco-friendly packaging and adaptable power cable.

On the front, there is an SDXC card slot with UHS-II speeds (300 MB/s) along with two 10Gbps USB-C ports (which are Thunderbolt 5 on the M3 Ultra model). At the rear, you can find four Thunderbolt 5 ports that provide up to 15 GB/s throughput (capital B), which is three times the speed of the 2023 Mac Studio that featured Thunderbolt 4. There’s also a 10Gbps ethernet port, two USB 3.1 (Type A) ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, catering to a variety of disk drives, monitors, and peripherals.

Inside, the M3 Ultra variant is quite powerful, offering a CPU with up to 32 cores—eight more than the Mac Studio M2 Ultra. The GPU boasts 80 cores, setting another record for Apple Silicon, alongside a 32-core Neural Engine dedicated to AI and machine learning tasks. The unified memory starts at 96GB and can extend up to an impressive 512GB (boasting up to 819 GB/s of bandwidth) alongside 16TB of SSD storage. Fully loaded, the Mac Studio can reach a staggering $14,099.

The M4 Max configuration is more conservative yet still impressive. The top-tier setup features a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, offering over 546 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth and up to 8TB of storage. These specs are quite comparable to the MacBook Pro M4 Max but are available at a reduced price point. Starting at $1,999, you receive a 14-core CPU, a 32-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine. All M4 Max configurations come with a satisfactory 36GB of unified memory, though my test version had the maximum 128GB in a $3,699 configuration.

Once purchased, the processor, memory, and storage cannot be upgraded; hence, it’s crucial to make a thoughtful choice when placing an order. This can be a bit of a challenge, as Apple offers limited flexibility in terms of system configurations. For instance, the entry-level $1,999 14-core M4 Max Mac Studio can only accommodate 36GB of RAM. To upgrade this, one must select the 16-core variant, which automatically raises the memory to 48GB and adds an additional cost of $500.

I would recommend the latter option at $2,499, as it strikes a balance by providing a faster processor and adequate unified memory for extensive content creation tasks. Those in need of even more power might consider the M3 Ultra variant, which supports up to 512GB of RAM and adds two more Thunderbolt 5 ports at the front.

In use: An essential for content creators

However, the true test for a machine like this is how it handles real-world content creation tasks. Given that video editing typically poses the toughest challenge, I assessed it using Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve with a mixture of 4K, 6K, and 8K video (both RAW and MP4) to really push its limits.

All those files played effortlessly in their respective formats on a 4K timeline, thanks to the M4 Max’s capability to decode RAW and 10-bit H.264 or H.265 files in real-time. It even managed to sustain real-time playback of a single layer of 8K video with color correction, showing signs of struggle only when I attempted to play multiple 8K video tracks simultaneously. Overall, it yielded a smooth and glitch-free editing experience, allowing professionals to work efficiently.

	Geekbench 6 CPU	Geekbench 6 GPU	Cinebench 2024
Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025)	4,090/26,394	116,028	190/2066 \| GPU 16,598
Mac Studio (M2 Ultra, 2023)	2,013/28,402	121,938	N/A
iMac (M4, 2024)	3,751/15,093	35,520	171/881 GPU 4,425
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)	3,925/22,456	70,197	178/1,689 GPU 9,295
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max, 2024)	4,054/25,913	114,112	181/2,042 GPU 16,490
Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite, 32GB)	2,797/14,400	19,963	123/969

Video encoding is equally efficient. It took me 1 minute and 51 seconds to export a 3.5-minute timeline in 4K comprising a blend of 4K, 6K, and 8K footage using the GPU. In comparison, my MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro processor required over twice this time, completing the task in four minutes and 10 seconds.

The Mac Studio displayed the same effectiveness with Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, ensuring quick and fluid editing experiences even with RAW images exceeding 100MB. Be aware that when performing GPU- or CPU-heavy functions like video encoding, the fan will activate and the chassis can heat up, but this occurrence was infrequent. Regardless, the Mac Studio’s larger size and enhanced cooling system provide better thermal management compared to the Mac mini.

To evaluate the machine’s AI efficiency, I utilized a 75-minute podcast with Apple’s Whisper transcription tool, which transcribed it to text in just a minute and 32 seconds. In contrast, the newer MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro processor took two minutes and 11 seconds, while my older MacBook Pro M3 Pro completed it in three minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

Beyond content creation, I recently played Baldur’s Gate III, a game that exerts moderate demands on a PC, and the Mac Studio performed admirably, providing smooth gameplay even at high settings and 1440p resolution (though the Studio Monitor’s limited 60Hz refresh rate was a constraint). I also observed that the device became noticeably warm and the fans engaged during gaming sessions. Nevertheless, the GPU performance was commendable compared to most PCs, except those equipped with top-tier GPUs, based on a brief comparison with our latest tests and GeekBench’s database. Ultimately, the only factor holding back the Mac Studio as a gaming machine is the constrained selection of games for macOS.

Is the Mac Studio worth the investment?

Content creators might ponder whether the Mac Studio is necessary or if the Mac mini would meet their needs. After all, the Mac mini M4 Pro with 24GB of RAM is available for $1,399, a price that is $600 less than the Mac Studio M4 Max, with only the loss of one Thunderbolt 5 port and 12GB of unified memory.

If you frequently handle 4K (or superior) video editing, 3D rendering, or gaming, the Mac Studio would undoubtedly be a wise choice. For less demanding tasks, a Mac mini should suffice. The Mac Studio M3 Ultra, however, is designed specifically for a different type of user—engineers or AI developers—offering extra cores and greater memory capacity. At $4,000, it may be excessive for most users. The Mac Pro also exists but comes with such a steep price that it is primarily aimed at studios and large enterprises, which makes the Mac Studio the go-to choice for the majority of professionals.