Apple debuted its second-generation Mac Studio at WWDC with more power and capability than ever. Read along for a detailed look at the M2 Mac Studio vs M1 Mac Studio and how the latest Apple Silicon desktops improve on their predecessors.
The M2 Mac Studio can be configured with the M2 Max chip that first arrived with the 2023 MacBook Pro laptops or with the brand-new M2 Ultra chip.
The updated hardware comes after Apple launched the first Mac Studio in 2021 as a more powerful machine than the Mac mini but sitting under the Mac Pro as far as I/O and flexibility – as well as starting price.
M2 Mac Studio vs M1 Mac Studio
CPU, GPU, memory, neural engine
Looking at the M2 Ultra, it features up to a 20% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU than the M1 Ultra. And Apple says the neural engine is up to 40% faster. Meanwhile, memory can be configured up to 192GB, that’s a 50% increase over the 128GB memory max with the M1 Ultra.
Apple says M2 Max performance is up to 25% faster than the M1 Max. Both the M2 Max and M2 Ultra feature more CPU and GPU cores than their predecessors.
| M2 Max Mac Studio | M1 Max Mac Studio | M2 Ultra Mac Studio | M1 Ultra Mac Studio | |
| CPU | 12-core | 10-core | 24-core | 20-core |
| GPU | Up to 38-core | Up to 32-core | Up to 76-core | Up to 64-core |
| Storage | Up to 8TB | Up to 8TB | Up to 8TB | Up to 8TB |
| Memory | Up to 96GB | Up to 64GB | Up to 192GB | Up to 128GB |
| Neural engine | 16-core | 16-core | 32-core | 32-core |
Apple highlighted in its keynote that the M2 Ultra can handle up to 22 streams of 8K ProRes video playback and compute up to an incredible 31.6 trillion operations per second.
Both the M2 Mac Ultra and M1 Ultra feature hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW, two video decode engines, four video encode engines, and four ProRes encode and decode engines (the M2 and M1 Max have one video decode engine, two video encode engines, and two ProRes encode and decode engines).
But the media engines are upgraded with Apple saying the M2 Ultra offers up to 5x faster 8K render performance than an Intel 27-inch iMac.
Looking at the big picture, Apple says the M2 Ultra is the “most powerful chip for a personal computer.”
I/O
The latest Mac Studio keeps the same physical I/O with two USB-C or Thunderbolt 4 ports on the front along with its SDXC UHS-II slot.
The majority of the I/O remains on the back with 4x Thunderbolt ports, 1x 10Gb Ethernet, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI, and 1x 3.5mm headphone jack.
However, the new M2 Ultra Mac Studio has WiFi and Bluetooth upgrades, now features 8K video support, and can power more external monitors – up to eight in total.
| M2 Max Mac Studio | M1 Max Mac Studio | M2 Ultra Mac Studio | M1 Ultra Mac Studio | |
| USB-C/Thunderbolt ports (up to 40 Gbps) | 4 Thunderbolt, 2 USB-C | 6 Thunderbolt | 4 Thunderbolt, 2 USB-C | 6 Thunderbolt |
| USB-A ports | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| HDMI | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| SDXC | ✅ UHS-II | ✅ UHS-II | ✅ UHS-II | ✅ UHS-II |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| 3.5 headphone jack | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11.ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax) | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11.ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11.ax) |
| Ethernet | 10Gb | 10Gb | 10Gb | 10Gb |
| External display support | Up to 5 external displays: 4 up to 6K plus 1 up to 4K | Up to 5 external displays: 4 up to 6K plus 1 up to 4K | Up to 8 displays: 8 at 4K, 6 at 6K, or 3 at 8K | Up to 5 external displays: 4 up to 6K plus 1 up to 4K |
Dimensions and color
The M2 Mac Studio features the same 7.7 x 7.7-inch width and depth and 3.7-inch height as the first generation.
Not that it matters as a desktop, but the M2/M1 Max is two pounds lighter than the M2/M1 Ultra machines.
| M2 Max Mac Studio | M1 Max Mac Studio | M2 Ultra Mac Studio | M1 Ultra Mac Studio | |
| Height | 3.7 inches (9.5 cm) | 3.7 inches (9.5 cm) | 3.7 inches (9.5 cm) | 3.7 inches (9.5 cm) |
| Width | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) |
| Depth | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) | 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) |
| Weight | 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) | 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) | 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg) | 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg) |
The previous and new Mac Studio models are available in one color: silver.
What’s in the box
The only thing in the Mac Studio box is the computer and power cable.
Apple of course offers its Studio Display as its own external monitor. But there are also lots of great alternatives that are less expensive:
You may also want to pick up Apple’s Magic Keyboard and mouse or check out options like Logitech’s popular MX Master lineup.
Price
The M2 Max Mac Studio starts at the same $1,999 that the M1 Max did but goes beyond the M1 Ultra Mac Studio’s top $7,999 price for custom configurations to $8,799 with greater memory and power.
| Storage/Memory | M2 Mac studio | M1 Mac Studio |
| 512GB/32 with M2/1 Max | $1,999 | $1,999 |
| 1TB/64GB with M2/1 Ultra | $3,999 | $3,999 |
| Custom | Up to $8,799 | Up to $7,999 |
M2 Mac Studio vs M1 wrap-up
If you need a powerful and compact desktop and don’t need the I/O for extra video cards and similar that the 2023 Mac Pro offers, the M2 Mac Studio should be a perfect fit.
However, if you think the Mac Studio may be overkill, keep in mind the current Mac mini can be configured with the M2 Pro chip. Also, you could consider the M1 Mac Studio to save some cash.
The new M2 Mac Studio is available from Apple, Best Buy, and more.
What do you think about the new M2 Mac Studio compared to the M1? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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