MacworldAt a glanceExpert's RatingProsImpressive speedThunderbolt 5 supportCompact designPort flexibilityConsFixed RAM and SSD; not user upgradableOur Verdict The Mac Studio is a mean machine ideal for the most hectic of production environments.Price When ReviewedThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefinedBest Pricing TodayBest Prices Today: Apple Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025)RetailerPrice2.499,00 View DealPrice comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwideProductPricePrice comparison from BackmarketWith its most recent update, Apples fastest Mac is the Mac Studio, hands down. The Mac Pro lurking in the background might cost more and look more powerful, but it still has a chip that was released nearly three years ago, and that chip isnt the fastest anymore.So, the spotlight focuses on the Mac Studio. Thats not by accident. Apple has been trending towards compact designs with its products, so the companys preference for the Mac Studio as its top performer fits the bill. And the Mac Studio is up to the taskcompact doesnt mean a sacrifice in performance. Its a mean machine ideal for the most hectic of production environments.The Mac Studio comes with either an M4 Max or M3 (thats right, M3) Ultra chipFoundryM4 Max Mac Studio: Our models specificationsApple offers two standard configurations of the Mac Studio: A $1,999 model with an M4 Max chip, and a $3,999 model with an M3 Ultra. Each configuration can be customized with more memory and SSD, as well as variations on the chips CPU and GPU cores.This review focuses on the M4 Max Mac Studio, and our review unit has a chip upgrade from the standard configuration, as well as more RAM and a larger SSD. Here are the specs of our review unit:CPU: M4 Max with 16 cores (12 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), 16-core Neural EngineGPU: 40 coresMemory: 128GB unified memory (819GBps memory bandwidth)Storage: 1TB SSDPorts: 4 Thunderbolt 5/USB-C; 10Gb ethernet; 2 USB-A (USB 3); HDMI 2.1; 3.5mm audio; 2 USB-C; SDXC Card slotNetworking: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; gigabit ethernetWeight: 6.1 pounds (2.74 kg)Dimensions: 3.7 x 7.7 x 7.7 inches (9.5 x 19.7 x 19.7 cm)Price (as tested): $3,699/3,799/CA$5,249/AU$6,049M4 Max Mac Studio: PerformanceApple did somethingdifferent with the Mac Studio. It offers it with both Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chips, as it has always done. But this time, the chips are not from the same generation; instead, theres an M4 Max and an M3 Ultra. When asked by Ars Technica why an M3 Ultra instead of an M4 Ultra, Apple flatly said every chip generation wouldnt have an Ultra chip in its lineup. According to Numerama, the M4 Max chip doesnt have the UltraFusion technology Apple uses to create an Ultra chip. So thisll presumably be the top-of-the-line chip until the M5 Ultra comes along.The M4 Max Mac Studio comes standard with a 14-core CPU (10 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), a 32-core GPU, 36GB of unified memory, and a 512GB SSD. This review looks at the M4 Max option with a 16-core CPU (two more performance cores), a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, which all add $1,700 the price of the Mac Studio.Geekbench 6Results are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.The M4 Maxs 76 percent increase over the M2 Max is impressive, even considering the two-generation bump. The M4 Max is also 25 percent faster than the M2 Ultra, which was Apples fastest chip even after the M3 Max arrived.Cinebench 2024Results are expressed as Cinebench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.The boost of the M4 Max over the M2 Max (12-core CPU) is gigantic, but theres practically no difference between the M2 Ultra and the M4 Max. If you have an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and thought maybe you could save a little bit of money by upgrading to the M4 Max instead, its probably not worth it for the CPU.iMovie video exportResults are times in seconds. Lower times/shorter bars are faster.Mac Studio users are more likely to be using pro apps instead of consumer-based software like iMovie, but the file exports can give a sense of the performance gain, regardless. The 24 percent boost with ProRes exports is a significant amount of time for creative professionals.Handbrake 1.9.2 video encodeResults are times in seconds. Lower times/shorter bars are faster.In this test, we transcoded the 4KTears of Steelvideo to H.265 using HandBrake, a video converter app. Some huge gains are seen here, either when using the Macs hardware encoders or when not.The Mac Studios design has not changed since its introduction in 2022.FoundryBlackmagic Disk TestsResults are megabytes per second. Higher rates/longer bars are faster.These scores are essentially flat across the board. The performance here is good, but it appears that itll take some newfound innovation to see a drastic change in SSD performance.Geekbench 6.4 ComputeResults are expressed as Geekbench scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster.The M4 Max in our review has a 40-core GPU, which is two more than the M2 Mac Studio, so that, along with any new optimizations the M4 Max has, results in a 25 percent Metal improvement. Geekbench Compute tests graphics with either OpenCL or Metal APIs, the latter of which is Apples.M4 Max Mac Studio: Thunderbolt 5 portsThe other major upgrade with the new Mac Studio is that the Thunderbolt ports now support Thunderbolt 5. This significantly increases the bandwidth from 40Gbps in Thunderbolt 4 in the previous Mac Studio to 80Gbpsfor video it can go as high as 120Gbps. Thats a big deal for production use, but to take advantage of the speed, however, you need to use Thunderbolt 5 devices, which are still pricey and somewhat rare.The Mac Studios Thunderbolt ports have been upgraded to Thunderbolt 5.FoundryThis enhances the external display support on the M4 Max Mac Studio a little. It can still drive up to five displays, four over Thunderbolt at 6K/60Hz, and one connected to the HDMI 2.1 port at 4K/144Hz (HDMI was previously limited to 4K/60Hz). The other display connection option hasnt changed: two displays with 6K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, and one display with 8K at 60Hz or 4K at up to 240Hz over HDMI.M4 Max Mac Studio: Status quoThe two major changes with the 2025 Mac Studio are the chip upgrades and the Thunderbolt 5 implementation. Apple hasnt changed anything else. But because we strive for completeness, heres a summary of those unchanged items.Design: The impressively small square form hasnt changed since its introduction in 2022. Learn more about the Mac Studios design.Ports: The Mac Studio offers the same plentiful ports as before, but as I mentioned, the Thunderbolt implementation was upgraded to version 5.Keyboard, mouse, and monitor: As always, you need to provide your own. Apples Magic Mouse, Trackpad, and Keyboard received a USB-C update last November, while the 27-inch Studio Display is still on its 1st-gen release from 2022.One thing that hasnt changed that I wish would, is the Mac Studios way of initiating the setup process for the Magic Keyboard. It involves pressing the Mac Studios power button twice, and like before, it took me several tries to find the rhythm of the double button press. It didnt take me 13 tries like last time, but it did take me eight attempts, which seems like seven too many.Should you buy the M4 Max Mac Studio?When you need as much processing power as you can get, the Mac Studio is your only choice right now. Fortunately, it provides a serious amount of processing power, whether you get an M4 Max or M3 Ultra.The bottom of the Mac Studio features a ring of air vents.FoundryIf you bought any of the past versions of the Mac Studio, youre never satisfied with the speed and always need faster performance. Youll find the boosted performance worth the money, but remember you also get Thunderbolt 5, which can make your experience even better, so long as you use Thunderbolt 5 devices.Apples other workstation, the Mac Pro, has the sole purpose now of filling a niche: users who need the expansion slots. It wasnt updated and still has an M2 Ultra chip, which is now a slower CPU than the M4 Pro. Youre not buying the Mac Pro if you want the fastest Mac. Speaking of the M4 Pro, the current M2 Pro Mac mini starts at $1,399, but if you upgrade it to a 14-core M4 Pro CPU ($200) and 48GB of RAM ($400), you end up with the same price as the entry-level M4 Max Mac Studio that is the better deal. You dont get as much RAM, but you do get more GPU power, more ports, and more robust display support.