Shubham Sawarkar
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The new Mac Studio, which debuted on March 8th, 2022 at Apple’s “Peek performance” event has surpassed even the high-end Mac Pro as Apple’s most powerful desktop computer. The Mac Studio likewise starts at $1,999, which is significantly less than the Mac Pro’s $5,999 introductory price.
Now since the debut of Mac Studio, you may be wondering whether to buy Mac Studio or Mac Pro. So, in this definitive comparison guide, we compare Mac Studio and Mac Pro desktop to suggest which Mac desktop would be best for you.
We found similar specs exist between the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro, such as a silver aluminum exterior and up to 8TB of SSD storage. Apple lists the following four similarities between the two devices:
- Up to 8TB storage options
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Built-in speaker
- Silver aluminum design
Despite the fact that these Macs share similar characteristics, there are improvements made between them, notably totally different chipsets, RAM capacities, I/O selections, and external display capabilities.
Mac Studio and Mac Pro: Specs Comparison
Mac Studio
- Integrated, non-upgradeable design
- Choice: Apple M1 Max chip or Apple M1 Ultra chip
- Up to 20-core CPU
- Up to 64-core GPU
- Up to 128GB unified memory
- Up to 8TB storage option
- Wi-Fi 6
- 10Gb Ethernet
- SDXC card slot (UHS-II)
- 4x Thunderbolt 4 ports (M1 Max); 6x Thunderbolt 4 ports (M1 Ultra)
- 2x USB-A ports (M1 Max and M1 Ultra); 2x USB-C ports (M1 Max)
- HDMI port with support for multichannel audio output
- 10Gb Ethernet
- Support for up to four Pro Display XDRs and one 4K display
- Weight: 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) M1 Max; 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg) M1 Ultra
- Price: Starting at $1,999
Mac Pro
- Modular, upgradeable design
- Intel Xeon W processor
- Up to 28-core CPU
- Up to AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo GPU
- Up to 1.5TB of memory
- Up to 8TB storage option
- Wi-Fi 5
- Dual 10Gb Ethernet
- 8 PCI Express expansion slots (open slot availability depends on the configuration selected)
- Up to 12 Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports (depending on the configuration selected)
- Two USB 3 ports
- Dual 10Gb Ethernet
- Support for up to 12 4K displays, six 5K displays, or six Pro Display XDRs (depending on the configuration selected)
- Weight: 39.7 pounds (18.0 kg) tower; 38.8 pounds (17.6 kg) rack
- Price: Starting at $5,999
What’s the meaning of “another day” at March’s “Peek performance” event?
If you watch Apple’s “Peek performance” event on March 8, 2022, you’ll notice that during the M1 Ultra‘s speech, Apple expressly teased the launch of a new Mac Pro using Apple silicon, indicating that the Mac Studio is not a competitor for the Mac Pro.
To clear up any misunderstanding on the Mac Pro product line’s future, Apple senior vice president of Hardware Engineering John Ternus went so far as to state that a new Mac Pro is coming “another day,” and reports claim that a new Mac Pro is still scheduled to be launched in 2022.
Related // 2023 Mac Studio vs 2023 Mac Pro
The M1 Ultra chip, which has a 20-core CPU and up to 64-core GPU, is used in the high-end Mac Studio. The upcoming Mac Pro is expected to include an even more powerful architecture, with up to 128 graphics cores and 40 CPU cores.
The Mac Pro is scheduled to be released in 2022, and it might be unveiled as early as June, possibly at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Apple may show off the machine at the event before releasing it later this fall, giving developers time to produce apps.
There are lots of reasons to consider buying the Mac Pro rather than the Mac Studio, especially for the ultimate creator. The first is its Intel CPU, which, despite Rosetta 2, performs better on native Intel PCs for several high-level professional applications. Then, the modularity. The Mac Pro has eight PCI Express expansion slots for upgrading the machine’s hardware to meet specific requirements, like adding extra storage or graphics cards. The modularity of the Mac Pro also makes it easy to modify and upgrade components over time.
The Mac Studio, on the other hand, is a fully integrated machine with no options for adding or changing components. The Mac Pro is also more adaptable in terms of ports, which can be added via PCI Express slots, and it supports more external monitors.
Verdict
So if these factors are relevant to you, the Mac Studio is the superior option. The M1 Ultra Chip in the Mac Studio surpasses the highest-end graphics card in the 28-core Xeon Mac Pro, suggesting that the Mac Studio is a more powerful computer overall and should be faster for many workloads. Because the Mac Studio’s base model is $4,000 less expensive than the Mac Pro, it’s the ideal choice for those who don’t require the Mac Pro’s special features.
