Unleashing Creativity: The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max Redefines Performance for Professionals

Mac Studio is Apple’s top-tier performance machine, but this year’s edition has a unique aspect: It features either an M4 Max or an M3 Ultra chip. The latter may initially seem inferior, considering nearly all Macs (aside from the Mac Pro) are currently using M4 processors. Nevertheless, the M3 Ultra is undoubtedly Apple’s most powerful chip, making the new Mac Studio their fastest computer yet.

While the M3 Ultra variant seems outstanding for creative professionals and engineers, it has a starting price of $4,000 and can increase significantly. I’m certainly interested in that variant based on the benchmarks I’ve observed elsewhere. Nevertheless, the M4 Max model provided for this review is likely the one most users will prefer, as its base configuration costs significantly less. It’s ideal for power users engaged in tasks like video editing or game development and represents a reasonable value based on Apple’s pricing standards.

Engadget/Apple

91100Expert Score

Apple Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025)

Apple’s Mac Studio stands as its most potent device to date and offers great value for creators.

Pros

• High-performance M4 Max or M3 Ultra processors
• Ample selection of fast ports
• Large base memory on both versions
• Stylish and compact design

Cons

• Costly upgrades
• Slower front USB-C ports on M4 Max model

$1,999 at Apple

Specifications

The design of the Mac Studio remains unchanged since the initial M1 Ultra release in 2022, which is actually positive, as the aesthetic holds up well and occupies minimal desk space. It’s roughly equivalent to two older Mac minis (before the recent redesign that reduced their size) placed together and features the same sleek aluminum finish. Every aspect exudes a premium quality, including the eco-friendly packaging and flexible power cable.

At the front, you will find an SDXC slot that supports UHS-II speeds (300 MB/s), along with two 10Gbps USB-C connections (Thunderbolt 5 on the M3 Ultra model). At the rear, there are four Thunderbolt 5 ports, now offering throughput of up to 15 GB/s (capital B)—three times the speed of last year’s Mac Studio with Thunderbolt 4. In addition, there is a 10Gbps ethernet port, two USB 3.1 (Type A) ports, an HDMI connector, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This selection is more than enough to connect a variety of drives, monitors, and additional devices.

Internally, the M3 Ultra variant may be seen as excessive with its potential 32-core CPU, eight more than the Mac Studio’s M2 Ultra iteration. The GPU features 80 cores, another record for Apple’s silicon, along with a 32-core Neural Engine for AI and machine learning tasks. Unified memory starts at 96GB and can extend to a staggering 512GB (with bandwidth reaching 819 GB/s) and 16TB of SSD storage. When fully configured, the Mac Studio reaches a jaw-dropping $14,099.

The M4 Max version is more understated yet still impressive. Its top-tier configuration includes a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, over 546 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth, and can accommodate up to 8TB of storage. These specifications are very similar to the MacBook Pro M4 Max, but at a more competitive price. At the base price of $1,999, you receive a 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU, and 16-core neural engine. All M4 Max configurations begin with a respectable 36GB of unified memory, though my review unit was equipped with the maximum 128GB at a cost of $3,699.

Once purchased, the processor, memory, and storage remain non-upgradable, so it’s crucial to make informed choices when placing your order. Apple tends to be inflexible with configurations; for instance, the base model priced at $1,999 with a 14-core M4 Max can only be configured with 36GB of RAM. To obtain more memory, you must opt for the 16-core version, which increases the RAM to 48GB and adds $500 to the overall price.

Ultimately, I believe the 16-core version at $2,499 represents a balanced choice, providing a faster processor and ample unified memory for most content creation tasks. Engineers or those requiring greater performance may prefer the M3 Ultra version, which enables up to 512GB of RAM and places two additional Thunderbolt 5 ports on the front panel.

Real-world Performance: A powerhouse for content creators

The Mac Studio with M4 Max surpassed most synthetic benchmarks, achieving the top single-core Geekbench 6 CPU score of any tested PC. It ranks just under the Mac Studio with M2 Ultra in the multicore Geekbench 6 results. In fact, it even outperforms the newest Mac Studio M3 Ultra on single-core tests, although it falls short in multicore assessments. GPU performance is also impressive, and ATTO disk peak throughput sets a new record with write speeds reaching up to 8 GB/s.

However, the clearest way to assess such a machine is by applying it to content creation tasks and observing how efficiently it processes them. Video editing usually poses the toughest challenge for hardware, so I tested Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve with various 4K, 6K, and 8K clips (both RAW and MP4) to push its limits.

Each of those files played smoothly on a 4K timeline without interruptions, owing to the M4 Max’s capability to decode RAW and 10-bit H.264 or H.265 files in real-time. It maintained the ability to play back a single layer of 8K video with color adjustments without any issues, and only displayed difficulty when attempting to handle multiple 8K video streams simultaneously. Overall, it offers a fluid and hassle-free editing experience, empowering power users to accomplish their tasks efficiently.

Encoding is likewise swift. Rendering a 3.5-minute project in 4K with the same blend of footage took just one minute and 51 seconds using the GPU. For context, my MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro chip required more than double that time, clocking in at four minutes and 10 seconds.

The Mac Studio displayed similar efficiency with Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, allowing for quick and responsive editing even for RAW images exceeding 100MB in size. Notably, during demanding CPU or GPU tasks like video rendering, the fans will activate, and the unit can become warm, although such instances are infrequent. Regardless, the larger dimensions and robust fan of the Mac Studio lead to improved thermal management compared to the Mac mini.

To assess the machine’s AI capabilities, I processed a 75-minute podcast with Apple’s Whisper transcription tool, completing the task in one minute and 32 seconds. In comparison, the latest MacBook Pro equipped with an M4 Pro chip took two minutes and 11 seconds for the same operation, while my MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro needed three minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

In addition to content creation, I played Baldur’s Gate III, a game with moderate system requirements. The Mac Studio managed high settings and 1440p resolution smoothly (albeit limited by the Studio Monitor’s somewhat underwhelming 60Hz refresh rate). During gaming sessions, the Mac Studio did run warm, and the fans activated, but performance was generally superior compared to most PCs aside from those with high-end graphics cards, based on comparisons with recent tests and data from GeekBench. Consequently, the only limitation hindering the Mac Studio as a gaming machine lies in the limited availability of games for macOS.

Is the Mac Studio Worth Buying?