Review: Apple Mac Studio and Studio Display

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This setup right here is the Mac Studio

and Studio Display,

two completely new pieces of hardware Apple introduced

to its desktop family.

Powered by the company's latest chip sets,

both devices pack a robust set of features

all within a compact form factor.

I tested them together,

but you can use any display with the Mac Studio.

So let's dive in.

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The only way I can describe

the Mac Studio is by calling it a Mac mini on steroids.

It comes with a lot more ports.

There's an SD card slot and two USB-C ports on the front,

along with four Thunderbolt ports,

two USB-A slot, an HDMI port,

a headphone jack, and a 10 gigabyte ethernet port.

It's still super compact, though,

with a small footprint

that doesn't take up too much room on my desk.

To keep the internals cool,

it also packs double-sided blowers, airflow channels,

and a ton of perforations

on the bottom and on the back.

Like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro,

it's nice to see Apple's prioritizing function over form

by adding ports to the front and back.

It allows me to keep the more stationary things

like the power cord and the monitor in the back

while the front is reserved for things I swap out often

like a media reader or a charger for my iPhone.

Now let's talk processor

because this desktop computer is small but mighty.

When configuring your Mac Studio,

you'll have the choice between Apple's M1 Max

or the new M1 Ultra.

I've been testing the M1 Max,

which has up to 50% faster CPU performance and graphics

that are over three times faster than a Mac Pro.

The M1 Ultra, on the other hand,

is basically made up of two M1 Max chips.

Apple claims the M1 Ultra has up to 90% faster CPU

than the Mac Pro and 80% faster graphics.

Now, since my daily tasks don't go beyond the basics

like web browsing and word processing,

I handed the Mac Studio over to a professional video maker

to stress test it.

We imported multiple streams of red raw footage,

which added up to about 40 gigabytes into final cut.

And then we used 3D tracking,

made tons of color corrections,

and even left it at best quality

as opposed to best performance,

keeping the playback at full resolution.

The Max Studio remained stutter-free

and didn't struggle in the slightest.

The fans were also unfazed,

remaining quiet throughout the entire process.

He even says that it outpaces

the $24,000 Mac Pro he uses as his professional workstation.

And the fact that this comes

at a fraction of the cost makes him very excited

as a video maker.

And that's just the M1 Max.

Now you might be wondering,

should you get the M1 Max or the M1 Ultra?

Unless you're someone who works

with a high-level graphics or visual effects,

the M1 Max will most likely be more than enough.

But if you're working with content

that needs a lot of intensive computer processing work,

then you may want to look into the M1 Ultra.

You'll know if you need it.

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Now let's move on to the Studio Display.

It packs a 27-inch display with 5K resolution,

a 12-megapixel camera,

and built-in speakers that actually sound really great.

You'll also find three USB-C ports and a Thunderbolt port.

On the inside is an A13 Bionic chip

that helps power features like Center Stage,

which uses the camera to keep you in frame

during video calls,

along with spatial audio and Hey Siri.

You'll also have the choice

between the standard anti-reflective glass or nano-texture.

Now this one is the nano-texture,

and I will say it does a really great job

at decreasing any glare that may come through the window

because of sunlight.

Unlike the Pro XDR Display,

Apple's other external monitor,

the Studio Display doesn't come with HDR.

So colors look a bit more saturated and contrasty

in comparison to the XDR's more even and neutral tones.

It is significantly cheaper than the Pro XDR Display,

but you're still paying a starting price of $1,600

for an external monitor.

Most people will be just fine

with the 24-inch iMac or Mac mini,

but anyone that has a high-level workflow won't even need

to upgrade to the M1 Ultra Mac Studio

because the M1 Max is plenty powerful.

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