The Mac mini is the cheapest and weakest of the three Macs, but that doesn't mean it's a bad computer.
When you absolutely, positively need the most powerful Mac possible, the Pro is your best bet. And while power draw is less of a concern on a desktop than a MacBook since you don't need to worry about draining a battery, the extra efficiency is good for the planet - and your wallet. Apple certainly thinks so, as the company claims the M1 Ultra can outperform the highest-end discrete GPUs (like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090) while using up to 200W less power. The first Apple M1 Ultra benchmarks show off awesome power that rivals the speed of premium CPUs like AMD's Threadripper 3990X, further reinforcing our belief that the Ultra's 20-core CPU and 64-core GPU deliver outstanding performance.
We won't know for sure how well the Apple Mac Studio with one of those new M1 Ultra chips performs until we have a chance to test one out for ourselves, but based on the announced specs it's almost certainly more performant than any Mac save the most tricked-out Mac Pro. While the Mac Pro is still the best answer for anyone who wants a Mac desktop with the most raw power and configurability options, the addition of Apple silicon gives the diminutive Studio and mini Macs enough muscle to compete with some of the best computers on the market. Apple Mac Studio vs Mac Pro vs Mac Mini: Performance
The Mac mini, by comparison, can support up to two external displays via Thunderbolt and HDMI (up to 6K/4K), whereas the newer Mac Studio can support up to five (4 up to 6K/1 up to 4K). With the right GPU(s), even an aging Mac Pro can kick out video to up to a 6K display (like Apple's $5,000 Pro Display XDR) or up to eight 4K displays. This can also hamper you when trying to use multiple displays, though the real bottleneck for multiple displays on a Mac Pro is what video card (and how many) you put in it. Most notably, if you buy a new Mac Pro you're limited to outdated Thunderbolt 3/USB 3 ports, which are effective but can't match the speed, power delivery or features of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4. The Mac Pro is no slouch in the ports department, but given its advancing age it can't quite match the speed and options on offer with the Mac Studio and Mini. The svelte Mac mini with M1 has a decent port array for such a small PC, though it's only Thunderbolt 3 vs the Thunderbolt 4 available in the newer Mac Studio. Apple Mac Studio vs Mac Pro vs Mac Mini: PortsĪll of Apple's Macs offer decent port selections that include all the most important options: Thunderbolt/USB-C, USB-A, HDMI out, Ethernet, and headphone jacks.
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If you do, you'll get the benefit of the most powerful Mac you can buy (if you're willing to trick it out) with a remarkably well-designed case that makes it easy to open up and swap components out.Īs an FYI, Apple says the storage for the Mac Studio isn't upgradable by users, but a new teardown has revealed the potential for professional upgrades. That's exactly what it is, to be fair, and it excels at demanding workloads if you configure it appropriately, but most of us will never have cause to invest in a Mac desktop with a $6,000 starting price. The Mac Pro, by comparison, looks and feels like a workhorse desktop. The Mac Pro feels outdated in this respect, as the small size of the Mac Studio and Mac mini make them seem like elegant, cutting-edge PCs designed to slip into your life with minimal fuss. Pay $400 extra and you can get one with wheels, a feature few desktops (but most luggage) can match. The Mac Pro is the most old-school desktop computer Apple sells. Instead, a colleague aptly described it as "a Mac mini that's been doing stretching exercises." Up to 4 GPUs, AMD Radeon Pro W5500X - W6800X DuoĤx Thunderbolt 4/USB 4, 2x USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, SDXC card reader, headphone jack + 2x USB-C (M1 Max) or 2x Thunderbolt 4 (M1 Ultra)Ģx USB-A, 4x Thunderbolt 3/USB-C, 2x 10Gb Ethernet ports, headphone jackĢx Thunderbolt 3/USB4, 2x USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jackĢ0.8 x 17.7 x 8.58 inches (21.9 inches tall w/ wheels)ĥ.9 pounds (M1 Max), 7.9 pounds (M1 Ultra)Īpple Mac Studio vs Mac Pro vs Mac Mini: DesignĪpple's Mac Studio is the new midpoint among these machines, price-wise, but you can't say the same thing about its size.