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Mac Studio Gets Its First Big Update With M2 Max and M2 Ultra

Apple's mighty but relatively mini workstation can chew through media faster than ever. Here's what you need to know.

Wayne Grayson • Jun 05, 2023

M2 Ultra

Apple's WWDC 2023 Keynote was a big deal for Mac users. Before news surrounding a new version of macOS, a new 15-inch MacBook Air, and the new ultra-powerful Mac Pro, Apple unveiled its first major update to the Mac Studio.

The design and externals of the Mac Studio haven't changed, but inside, there are two new processors to choose between.


M2 Max

First up is the M2 Max, a 5nm chip Apple says is 25% faster than the M1 Max.

M2 Max features a 12-core CPU, up to a 38-core GPU, and can be equipped with up to 96GB of unified memory with 400GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Apple says this translates to real world improvements over a Mac Studio with M1 Max including:

  • 50% faster After Effects motion graphics rendering
  • 25% faster performance in Xcode
Mac studio M2 max M2 Ultra lifestyle
Source: Apple

M2 Ultra

For those that need Ultra performance out of their Mac Studio, Apple has introduced M2 Ultra as an available upgrade for the desktop.

M2 Ultra "delivers twice the performance and capabilities of M2 Max," Apple says, "and is Apple's largest and most capable system on a chip (SoC) ever."

With more than 134 billion transistors, Apple creates the M2 Ultra by dieing together two M2 Max chips. That means it is a 24-core CPU with a massive 192GB of unified memory―a 50% increase over M1 Ultra. M2 Ultra memory has 800GB/s of unified memory bandwidth.

The M2 Ultra Mac Studio can be outfitted with up to a 76-core GPU.

A Mac Studio equipped with M2 Ultra is 20% faster than a Studio equipped with an M1 Ultra. Meanwhile, GPU performance is 30% faster while Neural Engine performance is 40% faster.

With these leaps in capability, Apple says an M2 Ultra Studio can train massive machine learning workflows that workstations with a discreet GPU can't handle because discreet GPUs would run out of memory.

As for non-ML workflows, the M2 Ultra Studio also brings 50% faster video processing in DaVinci Resolve and 3x faster rendering in Octane.

The M2 Ultra Studio is just a flat-out beast for video thanks to the integrated media engine. Apple says it's capable of playing back 22 simultaneous streams of 8K ProRes 422 video.

Mac studio M2 max M2 Ultra DaVinci resolve
Source: Apple

Ports

In terms of connectivity, the Mac Studio now supports higher bandwidth HDMI for 8K displays and up to 240hz refresh rates.

The Studio retains all of its other connectivity, including 6 Thunderbolt ports, 1 10Gb Ethernet port, 2 USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Plus, the M2 Ultra Studio can support up to six Pro Display DXRs.

With all of the new rendering and GPU capability, the port selection and connectivity, and 10Gb Ethernet support on-board, the M2 Ultra Mac Studio is a powerful but compact desktop workstation for any creative professional, but especially filmmakers and video professionals.

Jellyfish products family card
The Jellyfish product family allows your whole post-production team to edit simultaneously from a single server.

As such, the new Mac Studio is a perfect companion to an OWC Jellyfish media server.

Connecting an M2 Ultra Mac Studio to an OWC Jellyfish over 10Gb Ethernet allows you not only to edit, grade, and render lightning fast, but do so while the rest of your teams edits from that same footage.


Availability

Orders for the Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra are open now. Pricing for the M2 Max variant starts at $1,999 while the M2 Ultra model starts at $3,999.

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