HandBrake is a video converter app that stresses the CPU or specialized video hardware, depending on how it is configured. It’s important to reiterate here that even though Cinebench is a CPU-focused 3D rendering test and doesn’t rely on the chip’s GPU. We also again saw that the M2 Max Mac Studio and the M2 Pro Mac mini had the same performance. We saw a 20 percent improvement of the M2 Max over the M1 Max–still not 25 percent, but closer. We also ran Cinebench R23 to gauge CPU performance, and these are the results that matter most to buyers of the Mac Studio since Cinebench mainly uses 3D rendering and is a better performance gauge for creative professionals. The M2 Pro is a $300 option on the $1,299 Mac mini if your work involves a lot of CPU processing and less graphics processing (which we’ll get to in a bit), the Mac mini can be a more affordable option over the Mac Studio. The M2 Pro that I tested in the 16-inch MacBook Pro is about 5 percent slower than the M2 Max Mac Studio, a difference you’ll barely notice, so it basically has the same CPU performance. In our multi-core testing, the M2 Max was 18 percent faster than the M1 Max it replaces–not the 25 percent Apple claims, but Apple does hedge it by saying “up to 25 percent.” The M2 Max’s single-core result provides a 19 percent improvement.Ī data point that sticks out is the multi-core result of the M2 Pro–this chip has the same 12-core CPU as the M2 Max. We always start off our reviews with a look at general-purpose performance with the Geekbench benchmark. Apple claims an improvement of up to 25 percent over the M1 Max. Its predecessor, the M1 Max, had two fewer efficiency cores (10 total CPU cores). The M2 Max has a 12-core CPU, which is split between eight performance cores and four efficiency cores. New chips mean, of course, boosted performance. The Mac Studio now comes with an M2 Max or M2 Ultra for the same price. The M1 chip series has had its time (there are only two Macs left with the entry-level M1 chip), and the M2 series is in full swing. The Mac Studio debuted in March of last year with M1 Max and M1 Ultra models. The Mac Studio is Apple’s Mac for high-end professionals but not the highest-end professionals. Apple also sells a $3,999 Mac Studio with an M2 Ultra, 64GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. It has several upgrades over the entry-level $1,999 M2 Max Mac Studio, which puts the price of our review unit at $3,199. This review looks at the Mac Studio with an M2 Max chip, a 38-core GPU, 64GB of memory, and a 2TB SSD. Whether that Mac mini or the M2 Max Mac Studio is the Mac for you depends on the kind of work you do. However, the M2 Pro Mac mini that Apple released back in January provides an interesting comparison with the M2 Max Mac Studio. The Mac Studio is Apple’s primary offering for customers looking for a high-performance Mac, while the Mac Pro addresses a niche that needs hardware expansion. Apple showed at WWDC that it is dedicated to upgrading and maintaining the high-end desktop Mac as a platform with the release of the M2 Max/Ultra Mac Studio and the M2 Ultra Mac Pro. We now have answers that give the Mac lineup some much-needed clarity. But it also raised a few questions at the time: Does it replace the Mac Pro? And if it doesn’t, will Apple continue the Mac Studio line once the Apple silicon Mac Pro arrives? Would the Mac Studio end up just like iMac Pro, a model that got little attention after its release and eventually was discontinued? The Mac Studio had a splashy debut last year, a new desktop design with speed that filled the needs of the most demanding professionals. Apple’s primary offering for professionals is a complete package of processing power, features, and design. If it’s speed you need, the Mac Studio fits the bill. Memory and SSD are not user upgradeable (and never will be).
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