This year, Apple's desktop strategy has taken an intriguing turn. The business not only upgraded the Mac Pro, which was its penultimate Intel-based computer, but also released a new Mac Mini model with a more potent processor. This indicates that there are now more possibilities than ever, including new selections at both the ultra-high end and the mainstream-pro level. The revised second-generation Mac Studio, with your option of M2 Max or M2 Ultra CPUs, is sandwiched between the two.
There's more to it than that; initially, we had speculated that this machine may take the place of the Mac Pro or become the standard choice for content producers. This review will examine the 2023 Mac Studio's new features and assist you in determining whether it is the ideal compromise or whether one of its brothers would be a better fit for your needs.
Ports are conveniently located on the front of the Mac Studio.
Mac Studio price in India
All that is included in the box with the Mac Studio is the device itself, a power cable, and some paperwork. It is not provided with a monitor, keyboard, or mouse. The base model with an M2 Max SoC (12-core CPU, 30-core GPU), 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is priced at Rs. 2,09,900. It will cost Rs. 20,000 more for an M2 Max with 38 GPU cores as opposed to 30.
Nothing can be upgraded after purchase, and configuration options are prohibitively pricey in true Apple way. For instance, it would cost shockingly an additional Rs. 40,000 to upgrade to 64GB of RAM and Rs. 20,000 to boost your storage to 1TB. Teardowns reveal that the SSD is truly detachable, but software-level locks prevent you from replacing or upgrading it on your own.
Choices with the M2 Ultra SoC start at Rs. 4,19,900, putting you in a completely other class; this isn't just a spec boost. We'll discuss this SoC later in this review. This Mac Studio model will have a minimum of 64GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. There are also two variations of this SoC, with the more expensive one costing Rs. 100,000 more due to the addition of 16 additional GPU cores. You can upgrade to 128GB or 192GB of RAM and up to 8TB of storage for eye-watering sums of an additional 80,000 and 1,60,000 rupees, respectively (another Rs. 2,20,000). So, the top-end specification costs Rs. 8,99,900, and that is before any additional software.
The Mac Studio would be a good fit for Apple's Studio Display, and if you're curious about whether the Rs. 1,59,900 base price is reasonable, read my recent Mac mini review. Throughout this evaluation, I also made use of Apple's Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Number Pad. Priced at Rs. 19,500, Rs. 9,500, and Rs. 14,500, respectively, that's already far above Rs. ten thousand.
Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023) design
The Mac Studio can best be described by comparing it to a taller Mac mini. The amount of power inside is concealed by its straightforward, practical appearance. The Mac Studio is significantly harder to stow away than the small since it has exactly the same width and depth but more than twice as tall. Hubs and other stackable Mac mini accessories ought to fit in seamlessly. It features the same body texture and is composed of the same silver aluminum. Moreover, the top Apple logo is bigger, and the bottom is somewhat elevated. It's obvious that this item is intended to be used at a desk. The connectors on the front, which I have long criticized in previous desktop iterations, are what I'm most excited to see.
The 2023 Mac Studio is physically identical to the design from the previous year.
There isn't much else to say about the design other than to note how big the power LED is on the front. The remainder of the ports, as well as a sizable air vent, are located on the back. I've already mentioned how inconvenient it is that the AC power chord you receive in the box from India has a 16A power connector, especially considering that power consumption shouldn't be anywhere near that high. You'll require two of these unusual outlets at your desk if you're utilizing a Mac Studio with a Studio Display. You don't have to deal with an additional brick because the power source is built right within the device.
The M2 Ultra-based version is a startling 3.62kg heavier than the M2 Max-based version, which is likely due to the latter's need for a more powerful cooling system. If you frequently need to work on location, you can still transport both of them. In reality, you may do that because the box it comes in has a cloth handle. Also, many businesses sell rack-mount adapters that allow you to insert one or more of these devices into a typical equipment cage.
Software and specifications for Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
For this review, I was provided with an M2 Max-powered Mac Studio with a 30-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, which retails for Rs. 2,29,900 in India. The M2 Max sits below the M2 Ultra and even the M1 Ultra but is superior to the M2 and M2 Pro (where the Mac mini peaks out). A 5nm technology is used to create the complete M2 series.
According to Apple, the M2 Max contains 67 billion transistors. Similar to the M2 Pro, it has a 12-core CPU core and a 16-core "Neural Engine" AI accelerator, but its GPU resources are increased to 30 or 38 cores, and its Memory capacity is increased to 96GB. As comparison to the M2 Pro, you also receive twice as much hardware for video encoding, including acceleration for Apple's own ProRES format. These differences won't be important for routine photo and video editing, but they will be important when editing or recoloring multiple 4K or higher-resolution video streams, processing 3D models and visual effects, and even training machine learning models. This is a big reason why the Mac Studio is placed above the Mac mini.
On initial startup, The Mac Studio will update to the most recent version of macOS.
Apple claims that this model with the M2 Max can construct Xcode applications 25% faster or generate motion graphics in Adobe Aftereffect's up to 50% faster than a previous-generation Mac Studio with the M1 Max Soc's
The M2 Ultra SoC, Apple's current top-end internal CPU, comes with more features than the M2 Max and is actually two M2 Max dies connected by a special high-speed interconnect if you choose to spend more on a higher-end Mac Studio. According to Apple, that translates to about 134 billion transistors, giving you 24 CPU cores, 60 or 76 GPU cores, twice as much Neural Engine capacity, memory bandwidth, and video encoding power.
Up to four 6K displays plus one other 4K 60Hz monitor, or two 4K displays plus one 8K 60Hz display, can be driven by a 2023 Mac Studio with an M2 Max SoC. If that wasn't enough, the M2 Ultra-powered models can support up to eight 4K, six 6K, or three 8K 60Hz screens. With that extra headroom, you may experiment with different combinations of higher refresh rates on fewer panels.
Four Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps) Type-C connections, two USB 3.1 Gen2 (10Gbps) Type-A connectors, 10Gb Ethernet, HDMI, and a 3.5mm combination audio jack are all located on the rear panel. A power button and the three-pin AC mains inlet are also present. Although it is good to see older USB Type-A connections, front connectivity is far superior. These two Type-C ports operate at USB 3.1 Gen2 (10Gbps) speed on M2 Max-powered devices, but the M2 Ultra can drive more Thunderbolt 4 ports, giving you access to all that capacity. SDXC cards can be used in the card slot, but not the more recent SDExpress format.
Similar to the Mac mini, there is a built-in speaker that is adequate for alerts but not suitable for playing music. This speaker will be ignored if you are connected to a Studio Display that has built-in speakers or any other external speakers. There are two wireless communication standards: Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.
Of course, every modern Mac comes with MacOS already installed, and setting it up requires an iCloud account. You receive each and every pre-installed app, including as Safari, Apple Music, Apple TV, Books, FaceTime, iMovie, GarageBand, Mail, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and Maps. Of course, there is the company's own App Store in addition to all the iCloud ecosystem integrations like Find My. You can quickly sync content across them if you also use an iPhone, iPad, and/or Air Pods with the same Apple account.
Software and specifications for Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023)
The setup process for the Mac Studio is fairly time-consuming when you initially turn it on. You must login in or create a new Apple ID before you may automatically import data from iCloud or another Apple device. Many security mechanisms are on by default, including the encryption of your SSD, the verification that the version of macOS you have installed has not been altered, and the impossibility of booting from other media. Moreover, your SSD is by default encrypted. The Mac Studio is showing these early indications that it is meant to be utilized in a production setting. Automatic detection of my Apple accessories allowed me to quickly enroll my fingerprint. I was presented with upgrades to macOS Ventura 13.5 and the Apple Studio Display upon initial boot.
Hardly nothing needs to be stated regarding routine performance; it is great as is. See our Mac mini review to learn more about using macOS and Apple's monitor and accessories. In summary, everything is incredibly pricey, but using third-party products would mean you won't have the same experience or access to certain features like Touch ID. Even while I enjoy having USB Type-C ports on the front, since the Mac Studio isn't very hefty, you'll need to hold it down with one hand while plugging in or unplugging things with your other.
MAC STUDIO 2023 (M2 Max & M2 Ultra) USER GUIDE: The Complete Illustrated Manual for Beginners and Seniors to Set up and Master the Apple Mac Studio with Tips and Tricks for macOS Kindle Edition
