Apple recently released the Mac Studio desktop computer, which, like the Mac mini, is an independent desktop computer without a screen, but in terms of performance, it uses the latest and strongest M1 Max and even M1 Ultra in Apple Silicon as the computer core, and uses the strongest Cooling efficiency and providing users with the most external connection functions, the target customer group has changed from users who want to buy cheap entry-level machines to professionals and advanced users in the field of design and creation. This time, unwire received a Mac Studio borrowed by Apple, and I will wait for the editor to do a review for everyone to see if this machine is worth buying.
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Super space-saving powerful computer that can be taken anywhere
It is not surprising that a computer can be carried around, Mac mini is one of them, but the processing performance is strong, and it is a computer used by professional users such as design and creation. It is relatively rare to carry it around. This Mac Studio is only about the size of 2 Mac minis stacked together, which can be put into a rucksack at any time and used when going out to a location. For example, you can take it to a shooting location and it will become your home, using a desktop computer that goes beyond the Mac Pro class.
The combination of Studio Display + Mac Studio, Studio Display’s narrow-edge screen takes up less space, and the banner and height are smaller than iMac 27 inches, and Mac Studio can just be placed under the screen, making full use of the space, making the overall occupied living space ratio iMac 27 inches less.
The Mac Studio’s computer wiring is very clean, only the power cable of each side, and the Thunderbolt cable between the Mac Studio and the Studio Display.
There are 2 USB-C sockets and SD card reader on the front of the Mac Studio body, which is convenient for daily connection. The rear of the fuselage can be plugged into a third-party USB mouse and keyboard, intranet, other storage devices, and a screen using the HDMI jack.
Most people will connect the external hard drive directly to the computer, but now you connect it to the Studio Display screen, you can unplug the computer and take it away at any time, and it is very convenient to take the Mac Studio to a second place for work.
However, everyone should pay attention to the power switch at the back of the fuselage, just like the iMac, you have to touch it first.
Work experience comparison
This time I tested the M1 Max version of the Mac Studio. In fact, the processor used seems to be the same as the M1 Max version of the MacBook Pro laptop. Readers with a clear mind can notice that the M1 Max processor used by Mac Studio has a 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, and 16-core neural network engine, which is obviously an upgraded version of M1 Max. On the other hand, Max Studio There are obvious advantages in the cooling system.
Comparing the M1 Max version of MacBook Pro and Mac Studio, we use Adobe Premiere video editing program to test, the same 8K video output, the time required for the two computers is as follows:
Mac Studio M1 Max: 12 minutes 33 seconds
MacBook Pro M1 Max: 13 minutes 16 seconds
Although the time between the two machines is similar, it is obvious that the surface temperature of the MacBook Pro body rises to 40 degrees, while the Mac Studio remains at room temperature of 27 degrees; the MacBook Pro will hear obvious fan noise, while the Mac Studio can almost hear no fan noise.
Fan noise test
When the CPU is turned on 100% and the air conditioner is not turned on at room temperature (the temperature is about 25 degrees), you can feel that the fan is fully turned on when you touch the air outlet on the back of the fuselage. Under full power operation for 30 minutes, even if you bury your ears in the computer, No obvious fan sound can be heard, and even though this machine is not water-cooled, it is still extremely quiet.
temperature test
The Mac Studio body does not feel hot and hot. The processor runs for 30 minutes. The temperature of the external surface of the fuselage is 24 degrees, the top of the fuselage is 24 degrees, and the air outlet at the rear of the fuselage is 27 degrees. The heat dissipation efficiency is extremely strong. However, in a closed room, you will still feel the room temperature rise, and you still need to keep the indoor air circulating.
On the contrary, the surface temperature of a MacBook Pro that has been running for a few minutes has risen to 38 degrees.
Entertainment experience comparison
I believe that many iMac 27-inch users may feel that the performance of the earlier M1 version of the iMac 24-inch is not sufficient. This time we will see if the M1 Max version of Mac Studio can provide more performance.
Test conditions: Open the complex map of the game “Cities Skylines” at the same time, the game is fully open, and open 6 YouTube live broadcasts at the same time to use the high-efficiency “YouTube Live Chat Flow” barrage plug-in.
M1 Max version Mac Studio effect:
It takes so many performance-demanding applications to run the M1 Max’s 10 cores at nearly 100%. Even so, the smoothness of the game is still satisfactory, and there is no suffocation during the game.
M1 version iMac 24″:
If you open the game “Cities Skylines” and 6 YouTube live + barrage plug-ins at the same time, the game will become very obvious choking screen. The editor turned out to need to reduce the YouTube live screen to 2 in order to make all programs work smoothly.
Photo processing work experience comparison
Many iMac users use their computers to process photos. The Mac Studio with the M1 Max processor has nearly double the performance compared to the M1 iMac 24-inch.
The Mac Studio has a built-in card reader, not the USB 2.0 card reader that the previous 27-inch iMac had, but a USB 3.0 card reader. In the card reader speed test, the editor used Sony TOUGH G 128GB to read 300MB/s and write 299MB/s memory card for testing, and to copy digital camera photos with a capacity of 50 GB, the Mac Studio card reader only took 3 minutes and 12 seconds . The iMac 24” has no built-in card reader, so I plugged in a third-party USB 3.0 card reader. This SONY card reader and SanDisk card reader are both the most expensive top models on the market. The result is that the copy time required is 3 minutes 21 seconds.
For photo output in Adobe Lightroom, the performance difference between the two is even more visible. This time, the editor exported a total of 1423 photos with a total of 50GB to the desktop. As a result, the Mac Studio took 38 minutes to output all photos, while the M1 iMac 24 took 80 minutes to output all photos.
Can connect multiple screens to test the new machine with enough RAM
Mac Studio’s M1 Max model has 4 Thunderbolt 4 sockets, as well as an HDMI socket for connecting more monitors. In my last iMac 24-inch review, I found that only 1 more monitor can be connected, and there is no response after plugging in 1 more monitor, while Mac Studio can plug 3 monitors without any problem, and because the available unified memory is relatively More, 3 screen clips are still quite smooth, no feeling affects the speed.
3.5mm headphone test
The 3.5mm headphone jack of the Mac Studio uses higher quality parts, and the WH-1000XM4 headphones are wired to the Mac Studio and MacBook Pro, and listen to the FLAC lossless sound quality music files. The output is improved, and the low-frequency dive is better than that of the MacBook Pro, which is suitable for connecting to a large Headphone, and is more suitable for music work.
Buying Advice: Can Mac Studio Replace the iMac 27?
If you buy the Studio Display+M1 Max Mac Studio combination, it will cost more than 27,000 yuan than buying an iMac, and the 4K mon bought in the computer market can be bought for about 3,500-4,000 yuan. If you buy these monitors , the actual cost is about the same. But the M1 Max Mac Studio is much stronger than the iMac27 in terms of processing performance and connectivity, and the quietness of operation is not the same.
Buying Advice: Should existing M1 Max MacBook Pro owners buy the M1 Max version of Mac Studio?
There is no significant performance difference between the M1 Max version of Mac Studio and the M1 Max MacBook Pro, but the Mac Studio has a strong cooling performance, even if it is used for a long time, the performance drop is much smaller, and the fan noise is smaller. Mac Studio has better connectivity, with 4 Thunderbolt 4, 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, and more storage devices.
But in turn, the most flat price of an M1 Max MacBook Pro is HK$22,799 (upgrading the flattest version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro to an M1 Max processor), compared to the current M1 Max version of Mac Studio, which only needs HK$15,999, if you don’t need a screen, you can pay a little less.
Studio Display Review
Connectivity experience – as long as a Thunderbolt cable is connected to the computer
Just use a Tunderbolt cable to connect to Mac Studio, and it can instantly output sound as a computer speaker. However, be aware that it has no HDMI input, and it is no problem to connect to a MacBook Pro, but PC users should pay attention.
Charge your MacBook super fast
The Studio Display is easy to connect to the MacBook, just need a Thunderbolt cable, you can enjoy dual display at the same time, and can charge the MacBook. Tried connecting a MacBook Pro with 30% battery remaining, after 30 minutes the computer was charged to 70%.
Audio experience, listening to songs, watching movies, and spatial audio support Dolby Atmos
You can use the on-screen speakers to output sound as long as you select Studio Display in the macOS volume output. The 6 built-in speakers of the Studio Display can output extremely high volume, up to the limit of the volume that my ears can bear.
The Studio Display has a built-in woofer, which has a powerful and deep bass output, while the mid and treble output are very clear. All in all, Xiao Bian believes that users no longer need to buy speakers. The speakers of this monitor support spatial sound, Dolby Atmos, try to use it to watch a video (test film: Apple TV+, Greyhound), you can hear the location of the messenger, the bomb bullets fly through left and right, and the shocking explosion sound is the same as the music , like adding a whole set of Sound bars.
In terms of picture quality, Studio Display has a high viewing angle, high resolution, and very little discoloration. It is used to watch photos taken by digital cameras, and the color performance is very good. But note that if you choose an ordinary reflective coating, there will be a layer of frosted surface like the anti-reflective sticker on the mobile phone, and there will be blue and red spots on the surface, but you will not feel any impact in normal use.
Summary: Mac Studio is the “Mac mini” that professionals love
Simply put, Mac Studio is a Mac mini that enhances external connectivity and performance, a Mac mini that professional designers, creators, or advanced computer users need. You only need to pay HK$15,999 to get a computer with a built-in M1 Max processor. Compared with the MacBook Pro, which costs HK$22,799, it can be said to be flat, and it is enough for you to buy a good desktop monitor. Now that Apple has stopped selling the iMac 27-inch, for high-end iMac users, the M1 Max version of Mac Studio is also a good upgrade option. Looking forward to our chance to try the M1 Ultra version of Mac Studio again.
