During its ‘Peek Performance’ event on Tuesday, Apple announced the long-rumored Mac Studio desktop. It’s essentially a Mac mini on steroids, with performance that bests the Mac Pro and a ton of configurable options.
Mac Studio shown with the new Studio Display
Hardware
The new Mac Studio desktop is built from a single aluminum extrusion with a square footprint of just 7.7 inches and a height of 3.7 inches. That means it’s going to take up very little space on your desk and fit under most monitors. Apple says it won’t impact performance though, thanks to its innovative thermal design. There are over 4,000 perforations on the back and bottom of the enclosure that will guide air through the components and keep everything nice and cool.
Performance
The Mac Studio is highly configurable, and there are essentially two ‘base’ models to start with: the M1 Max version and one with the new M1 Ultra. The max memory for the former is 64GB, while the max for the latter is 128GB. The storage is capped at 8TB SSD for both models. Apple notes that the Studio offers more unified memory than any other Mac, and its unmatched power opens up new capabilities that no other desktop can achieve.
Connectivity
You’ll be happy to hear that the Studio also has a ton of connection options that make it compatible with a wide variety of accessories. On the front there are 2 USB-C (10gb/s transfer) Thunderbolt ports and an SD card slot. And on the back you have 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 2 USB-A ports, 1 HDMI port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Then for wireless connectivity you have support for Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 6.
Pricing and Availability
The M1 Max Mac Studio starts at $1999 and the M1 Ultra Mac Studio starts at $3999. Both are available to order starting today and they will start shipping on the 18th.