At Apple’s Spring Event, perhaps the most exciting announcement was the Mac Studio. Packed with a bunch of exciting features, including an M1 Ultra chip, a variety of ports, enhanced connectivity, and a fresh thermal design, it’s said to be the most powerful Mac available.
Apple specifically revealed that it would deliver ‘outrageous performance’. So, through a series of tests, we uncovered whether this claim stacks up. See what we found out below.
Benchmarking for the CPU
The CPU turned out to be incredibly impressive. With a single core test, its zenith was at a remarkable 16 watts. Then, with multi-core, it rose to over 60 watts! Without a doubt the Max Studio is providing the necessary CPU required for its 20 cores. This may even be twice the amount you would receive with the M1 Max chip inside the MacBook Pro.
Thermal throttling testing
We’ve previously discussed the importance of thermal throttling. When you max out the CPU (it peaked at 71.3 watts), the temperature is only 48°C. If the processor was Intel’s 12th generation chip, you could expect almost double this. As for the hottest core, this was at 58°C – which is really saying something when the Mac mini’s hottest temperature was just 70°C. Plus, the fans aren’t impacted – they stay within their regular idol range.
Maxing out the CPU and GPU
Lastly, it was a case of maxing out both the CPU and GPU. It resulted in a similar situation, with it only peaking at 51.5°C. By the same token, the fans are still only in the idol range. Together with the CPU, it scores 484. Though, it’s important to observe that the graphics card isn’t actually achieving its full potential. The GPU only uses 30 watts of power – when it should be more like 120 watts. Without the CPU, it still only hits about 80 watts.
This could be explained by looking at previous M1 launches. With the original M1 chips, and then M1 Pro and Max processors, Apple issued updates to macOS and apps like Final Cut to take advantage of the latest hardware. At the time of writing, no updates have been released, so it’s likely we won’t see the full potential of these Macs until the software catches up.
Should you purchase the Mac Studio?
Ultimately, the Mac Studio is an incredibly powerful device. As with the whole of the M1 range, the hardware is so far in front of the software that there’ll be some catching up to do before the full potential of these machines is realised. Of course, being the best means it automatically comes with a higher price tag. Buying one is a big decision, and you need to think about what your business genuinely requires.
For help and advice, talk to Lease Loop. We can determine which Mac best meets your needs, and pair you with a leasing solution that allows you to maintain your cash flow. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll be supported by our friendly team who truly care about your success.
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