Apple continues to challenge conventional desktop norms with the 2025 Mac Studio. Packing serious performance into its iconic small chassis, this year’s model blends raw power, sleek design, and creative versatility. Now powered by the M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, it’s the first to feature dual chip generations, catering to creative professionals who want workstation-grade muscle without the size of a Mac Pro.
Familiar Build, Elevated Internals
Retaining its signature silver, all-aluminum casing and compact 2.7kg (M4 Max) or 3.6kg (M3 Ultra) frame, the Mac Studio remains visually unchanged. Its minimalist 9.5cm-tall, 19.7cm-square design still exudes understated power. But it’s what’s inside that elevates this iteration.
The M4 Max variant offers a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, while the M3 Ultra (built by fusing two M3 Max chips) delivers up to 32 CPU cores and 80 GPU cores. Despite M4 being newer, the Ultra configuration still leads in sheer scale.
Neural Engine, Memory, and Storage
The M4 Max houses a 16-core Neural Engine, 36GB unified memory, and 512GB SSD—configurable up to 8TB. Meanwhile, the M3 Ultra includes 32-core Neural Engine, 96GB memory, and a 1TB base SSD upgradeable to 16TB. The Ultra model also features a copper heatsink for superior thermal performance.
Connectivity and Display Support
This is the first Mac Studio to support Thunderbolt 5, offering four USB-C ports at the rear, enabling up to 120 Gbps data transfer. Other ports include two USB-A, HDMI 2.1, 10Gb Ethernet, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The front includes two USB-C ports and an SD card reader, with the M3 Ultra replacing the USB-C with Thunderbolt 5.
The M4 Max supports up to five displays (4x 6K via Thunderbolt, 1x 4K at 144Hz via HDMI), while the M3 Ultra handles up to eight displays (6K or 8K combinations).
Creative Performance
Designed for power users, the Mac Studio excels in 3D rendering, video editing, and even AI workflows. Benchmarks show:
- Cinebench R24: 16,740 (GPU), 2,089 (multi-core CPU), 186 (single-core)
- Geekbench 6: 3,978 (single-core), 21,160 (multi-core)
- Novabench: 4,650 overall (CPU: 2,466, GPU: 812, Memory: 748, Storage: 624)
Exporting 5GB of 4K 60FPS footage in Adobe Premiere Pro took just over 5 minutes—nearly 40% faster than the M2 Ultra. Handbrake encoding clocked in at 6:29, outpacing its predecessor by a full minute.
Gaming Capabilities
Not made for gamers, but the M4 Max supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing. In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, performance peaked at 30 FPS in 1440p with MetalFX upscaling. In 4K, framerates dipped below 25 FPS. However, non-ray-traced titles like Resident Evil 4 ran smoothly at 4K and 60 FPS.
Apple Intelligence and macOS Sequoia
With macOS Sequoia, Apple Intelligence comes into play. File transfers, iPhone mirroring, and AI-based tools like email drafting and image generation are now streamlined. Thanks to the upgraded Neural Engine and GPU, Mac Studio M4 Max handles these features with ease.
Pricing and Customization Limitations
The base M4 Max model costs $2,899 with 36GB memory and 512GB SSD. Storage upgrades go up to 8TB, costing an additional $3,600. RAM and core upgrades also come at a premium, and configurations are locked post-purchase—there’s no DIY upgrading.
| SSD | Additional Cost |
|---|---|
| 1TB | +S300 |
| 2TB | +$900 |
| 4TB | +$1,800 |
| 8TB | +$3,600 |
| RAM | Additional Cost |
| 48GB | +$300 |
| 64GB | +$900 |
| 128GB | +$1,500 |
Final Verdict
The Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025) reaffirms Apple’s commitment to performance-first desktops for creatives. Though upgrade constraints and high prices remain sticking points, the machine’s raw power, AI enhancements, and design continuity make it a top-tier choice.
Score: 8.8/10
- Aesthetics: 8.5
- Build Quality: 9
- Performance: 9
- Value: 8.5
- Geek Satisfaction: 9
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