Its here — a new M1 family chip from Apple, which outpaces an already unbelievably efficient & fast M1 Max chip. It is called the M1 Ultra, and Apple has achieved the unthinkable by joining two M1 Max chips to create this behemoth of computing power.
Apple’s chip family has grown bigger with the M1 Ultra, which uses a multi-die architecture called UltraFusion, with 2.5 TB/sec of bandwidth. The number of transistors on the M1 Ultra — the most in any Apple Silicon — comes at 114 billion. Its memory bandwidth is 800 GB/sec and comes with up to 128GB of unified memory. Additionally, there is a 20-core CPU and 64-core GPU.
What is even more impressive, is that MacOS automatically scales with M1 Ultra, which results in using 65% less power than a 16-core desktop. Not only is it eight times faster than the M1, but it also comes with 16 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. It sports a 32-core Neural Engine as well, and Apple claims that it can deliver peak performance and use less power. To look at, it is twice the size of the M1 Max, which is a bigger version of the M1 Pro.
This begs the question, where will we see this new chip in action? Apple has an answer for that as well.
This is where Mac Studio, the new Mach computer from Apple, comes in. This more powerful version of the Mac mini comes with either M1 Max or the M1 Ultra. If it is the latter, then it will perform 80% faster. Coming with a single aluminium body in a small compact form factor, the device comes with four thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports at the back, and 2 USB-C ports at the back. If that is not enough, it also includes a 10G Ethernet port, an HDMI port, and an audio jack as well, along with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 built-in.
As for its dimensions, it is 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide. The CPU performance for the Mac Studio, which is powered by the M1 Max, is 2.5 times faster than the 27-inch iMac, and 50% faster than the Mac Pro. The GPU performance for the same is 3.4 times faster than the Mac Pro. For the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra, its CPU and GPU performances are 60% faster (CPU) than the Mac Pro and 4.5 times faster than the 28-inch iMac. It also comes with up to 8TB of SSD, and can also play 18 8K streams together.
It will use 1,000kwh less energy than a PC desktop and run macOS Monterey.
Coming to the Studio Display, the 27-inch 5K display comes with an A13 Bionic chip inside. It also sports a highly advanced 12MP ultra-wide camera that comes with support for Center Stage. It also includes support for spatial audio and 6-speaker sound system with two high-performance tweeters, which backs Apple’s claim that this is the best combination of audio and video in a display. There are three USB-C ports in the back and a Thunderbolt port that can deliver 96w of power, as well as 600 nits of brightness. You also get a nano-texture glass option, and can tilt and adjust the height.
Last but not the least we come to the prices. The new Mac Studio starts at $1,999 (with the M1 Max), a price which is raised to a super pricey $3,999 for having the M1 Ultra chip. And the new Apple Studio display starts at $1,599. You can pre-order both today, and they will go on sale from March 18.
