The new Apple M3 Ultra is a new processor made by cramming together two chips that have been around since late 2023. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though: Apple says that fusing together two Apple M3 Max chips results in “the highest-performing chip” Apple has ever made when it comes to CPU, graphics, and AI performance.
But that chip doesn’t come cheap. The first computer available with an M3 Ultra processor is the new Mac Studio, and prices for this powerful mini PC start at $1999 for a model with an Apple M4 Max processor… or $3999 for a model with an M3 Ultra chip.
While the M4 Max is based on newer architecture, the M3 Ultra is a significantly more powerful chip with way more of everything.
The M4 Max is available in two configurations:
- 28-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine
- 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine
And the Mac Studio with an M4 Max ships with at least 96GB of unified memory and support for up to 512GB. It also comes with storage options ranging from a 1TB SSD to 16TB.
By comparison, models with M4 Max chips also come with two lower-performance processor options:
- 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Customers who opt for the entry-level Mac Studio will get just 36GB of unified memory, while those who opt for the 16-core M4 Max can choose between 48GB, 64GB, and 128GB options. Storage options range from 512GB to 8TB.
Apple says the M3 Ultra delivers up to 1.5X the CPU performance of an M2 Ultra processor and up to twice the graphics performance. Among other things, it can drive up to eight Apple Pro Display XDR 6016 x 3384 pixel displays, play 22 streams of 8K video, simultaneously, and run large language models with over 600 billion parameters using local hardware only.
Other features include 800GB/s of memory bandwidth, and support for Thunderbolt 5 – the Mac Studio support asymmetrical data transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s or symmetrical speeds up to 80 Gb/s, and Apple says each Thunderbolt port on the Mac Studio “is supported by its own custom-designed controller directly on the chip.”
The Mac Studio has four Thunderbolt 5/USB-C ports on the back, along with a 10 Gb Ethernet port, HDMI 2.1 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-A ports, a 3.5mm audio port, a power plug, and a power button.
On the front there are two more USB Type-C ports: on models with M3 Ultra chips these are Thunderbolt 5 ports (bringing the total to six), while models with M4 Max processors have two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports instead. Both models also have an SDXC card reader on the front.
The Mac Studio also supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity.
The little computer measures just 197 x 197 x 95mm (7.7″ x 7.7″ x 3.7″) and it’s available for pre-order today and expected to be widely available starting March 12, 2025.
