Apple's latest Mac Studio sets new records in multiple aspects.

      Apple has introduced a new Mac Studio to expand its lineup of high-end Macs. In an unexpected development, this new Mac Studio will be available in two versions: one featuring the M4 Max chip and the other housing a previously unreleased chip, the M3 Ultra. It’s reasonable to predict that this Mac Studio will set several records, attributed to its impressive amounts of unified memory and storage—and also due to its significant price tag.

      The M3 Ultra is a new addition to the series, designed specifically for AI applications. Apple claims it offers up to 2.5x the performance of the M1 Ultra, although there are no details on how it compares to the M2 Ultra. The M3 Ultra, and consequently the Mac Studio, supports up to 512GB of unified memory, which Apple states is “the most ever in a personal computer.”

      The entry-level configuration of the new Mac Studio begins with 96GB of memory but can be upgraded to 512GB. This will be advantageous for creators requiring substantial power for resource-intensive tasks. Apple suggests that the Mac Studio is capable of running large language models (LLMs) with over 600 billion parameters entirely in memory, making that 512GB upgrade quite useful, despite the cost.

      As is customary with Apple, the new Mac Studio is available in multiple configurations. The top M4 Max setup can include a maximum of 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU. In contrast, the high-end M3 Ultra setup features a 32-core CPU, an 80-core GPU, and up to an impressive 16TB of SSD storage.

      Examining the M3 Ultra further, the chip consists of two 3nm M3 Max dies integrated using Apple’s UltraFusion packaging architecture, totaling an extraordinary 184 billion transistors. The new chip supports Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, with each port fitted with a custom-designed controller directly on the chip. This design ensures dedicated bandwidth for each port, allowing for transfer rates of up to 120Gb/s.

      Apple highlights a significant performance increase when using the new Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra. Some key enhancements include up to 16.9x faster token generation in LLMs, up to 2.6x faster scene rendering, and up to 1.4x faster 8K video rendering. All performance comparisons are made against the M1 Ultra.

      The new Mac Studio is available for pre-order, with shipping starting on March 12. The base model is priced at $1,999 (or $1,799 for education), but costs escalate dramatically with upgrades to the chip, memory, and storage. The highest configuration is priced at an astounding $14,099.

      This announcement follows just a day after Apple introduced a new iPad Air featuring the M3 chip, which Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted at on X with the phrase “there’s something in the air.” The Mac Studio, however, did not have any prior hints before its announcement, making its reveal more surprising. While a new Mac Studio had been anticipated for some time, earlier rumors suggested it might not be released until mid-year.

      Now, professional and creative users have an updated Mac Studio tailored to manage their intensive workloads. Those in need of even greater power should consider the Mac Pro, which is anticipated to receive updated chips in late 2025. Apple also launched a new MacBook Air with a starting price of $999.