New Mac Studio launch date, cost, and all the details you need to be aware of.

      Apple

      The Apple Mac Studio has consistently delivered impressive power within a compact design that resembles a solid aluminum block. Its aesthetic gives the impression of floating, with most ports conveniently located at the back. There is no other desktop that occupies such minimal space while also looking exceptional on your desk.

      The latest model retains all the standout features that make it one of the top desktops, while significantly boosting performance. The prior generation lacked the improved GPU and Neural Engine capabilities, which are now included. Although it comes with a higher price tag than before, it appears ready to meet the needs of those who require it.

      Release date and price

      The new Mac Studio was unveiled on March 5, 2025, with availability starting on March 12, 2025. This release is ahead of many forecasts and comes shortly after its announcement.

      You can purchase a Mac Studio starting at $1,999, which includes an M4 Max chipset featuring 14 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores, along with 36GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. This represents an upgrade from the previous generation, which used the M2 Max chipset with 12 CPU cores and 30 GPU cores, and 32GB of RAM. For an additional $300, you can upgrade to a more powerful M4 Max chipset with 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores, which also includes an increase to 48GB of RAM. Faster chipsets allowing for 64GB ($200) and 128GB ($1,000) are also available. Storage options can reach up to an impressive 8TB, adding $2,400 to the overall cost, bringing the high-end M4 Max model to $5,899.

      Power users can now opt for the M3 Ultra chipset, starting with a configuration of 28 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores, plus a Neural Engine with 32 cores. This setup includes 96GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $3,999. The maximum RAM available with this chipset is 256GB ($1,600), and there’s also a 16TB storage option ($4,600). Configuring this model to its limits will cost $8,599.

      The high-end Mac Studio features an M3 Ultra chipset with 32 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores, starting with 96GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, priced at an incredible $5,499. This version can accommodate up to 512GB of RAM ($4,000) and 16TB of storage. Fully configured, it reaches a staggering price of $14,099.

      New Mac Studio design

      Apple

      The design of the Mac Studio remains unchanged, and that is perfectly fine. It continues to be a sleek floating monolith measuring just 7.7 inches wide and 3.7 inches tall, weighing a solid 6.1 (M4 Max) or 8.0 pounds (M3 Ultra). The color remains silver with a fan intake that gives the illusion of it floating in mid-air, featuring two Thunderbolt ports and a full-size SD card reader on the front, while the majority of ports are discreetly located at the back. In our review, we referred to it as a “floating block of pure industrial design,” and that description holds true.

      One of the noteworthy aspects of the Mac Studio that remains unchanged is its cooling system. In our review, we pointed out that regardless of how demanding the tasks were, the Mac Studio operated almost silently. We’re eager to see if the new Mac Studio, which offers even more power, will maintain this remarkable quietness.

      New Mac Studio power

      Apple

      The most significant update is the boost in power. The previous generation was based on the M2 Max and M2 Ultra chipsets, with the latter effectively combining two M2 Max chips. It was an exceptionally fast compact desktop, holding the title of the fastest Mac available (even competing with the more extensible Mac Pro) until the M4 Max chipset was introduced. The main shortcomings of the prior model were its outdated Neural Engine and GPU cores, which lacked the enhancements provided by the M3 chipset.

      The M4 Max is a substantial upgrade over the M2 Max. We are currently benchmarking it, and thus far, the M4 Max CPU/GPU configuration in the MacBook Pro 16 is the fastest laptop we've tested. Indeed, in the Pugetbench Premiere Pro benchmark, the MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max ranks as the second-fastest machine we've evaluated, surpassed only by the Corsair One 500i desktop equipped with a desktop-tier Core i9 CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

      The M4 Max offers two configurations, featuring either 14 or 16 CPU cores and 32 or 40 GPU cores. The Neural Engine is the same 16-core version present across all M4 chipsets. It incorporates all GPU enhancements introduced with the