Apple released Mac Studio equipped with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips as early as the end of August. The new models are now available in 30 countries and regions, and can be picked up at multiple Apple Stores starting today. The first independent reviews of the new product have also appeared online. The authors all agree on one thing: the new Mac Studio is Apple’s most productive and most expensive PC ever.
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The Verge tested a $12,299 Mac Studio: 36-core processor, 80-core graphics processor, 256 GB RAM, and 4 TB hard drive. According to journalists, the computer proved to be so much faster and more powerful than any device the publication had previously tested that standard benchmarking tools seemed insufficient to assess its capabilities.
According to testing by The Verge, models equipped with the M5 Ultra chip are about 30% faster than similar configurations based on the M3 Ultra in both single-core and multi-core tests. In the GPU rendering test (Cinebench), the results improved by 63%.
The publication didn’t have enough time to test the limits of the Mac Studio equipped with the M5 Ultra chip. This is such a powerful machine that only the most resource-intensive tasks can challenge it. Exporting 1.7GB 4K video file from Blender to Premiere takes 40 seconds, drive speed “Record breaking”. Testing of AI capabilities will come later, as this requires time and additional checks.
Engadget tested a similar configuration, but with a 2 TB SSD instead of 4 TB – a device that retails for $11,299. According to editors, compared to the similar M3 Ultra-based Mac Studio, “Prices have increased significantly – more than 50%.” According to journalists, the device is “capable of demonstrating incredible performance,” but this “The increase in performance compared to the M5 Max model will only be justified by a limited number of buyers”.
Comparing the M5 Ultra to the M3 Ultra, reviewers note that the new model is 20-30% faster on average in CPU, GPU and Neural Engine performance tests. For most applications, they recommend choosing the version with the M5 Max chip. “But if every second of computing time is more important than a price tag of over $10,000, what could be better? […] The M5 Ultra with the largest memory is hard to find. “
Most YouTube bloggers decided to review both the Mac Studio and the new Mac mini. Therefore, they often compare two models instead of examining the characteristics of each model in detail. ZY Cheng was one of the first to comment. He concluded that “Both Macs are very powerful in their own way.” According to him, “When it comes to which one is worth investing in, the best analogy that comes to mind is power tools.”. He compared a regular cordless drill to a Mac mini and Mac Studio to a construction team’s professional model.
In most reviews, the discussion of the new Mac Studio starts with the price, which is no surprise—Apple raised the price even before the official launch. Mac Studio starts at $2,499 with the M5 Max chip and $5,499 with the M5 Ultra chip. For the top-spec Mac Studio, you’ll have to pay a hefty $18,299. However, that’s not quite a record yet – there’s expected to be another version of the Mac Studio with 512 GB of RAM, and Apple isn’t even taking pre-orders yet.
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