Ars Technica reviews the new Mac Studio

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Apple earlier this month introduced Mac Studio, an entirely new Mac desktop powered by M1 Max and the new M1 Ultra, the world’s most powerful chip for a personal computer. It is the first computer to deliver an unprecedented level of performance, an extensive array of connectivity, and completely new capabilities in an unbelievably compact design that sits within arm’s reach on the desk.

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The 27-inch iMac was Apple’s de facto high-end desktop workstation for many years, and while the increasing core count of Intel’s desktop CPUs helped it fill this niche reasonably well, it never felt quite like a natural fit. The display was nice, but you had to replace it every time you wanted to upgrade your CPU or GPU. And both the CPU and GPU were restricted by a slim design that tucked them behind the screen since there was only a limited amount of room to dissipate heat.

The M1 Studio solves most of these problems. A big, beefy fan and a switch to Apple Silicon means that heat and power consumption are total non-issues for this machine, and you can connect whatever screen you want to it, whether it’s a Studio Display or a $100 1080p LCD. That Apple is delivering such good performance while also completely crushing Intel on the power efficiency front makes the Studio an even more impressive machine, and it helps to explain why we had to wait until after the Intel era to get a Mac that works and looks like this…

The worst thing I can say about the Studio is that it prioritizes function over form, which is a deeply strange criticism of a modern Apple product. The second-worst thing is that there is still a gap between the least expensive Studio and the most capable Mac mini. It would be nice to see a product that’s not much faster than the mini but does support more displays and offer more ports on the back (and, ideally, on the front). That hypothetical Mac may be coming sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the Studio is an excellent workhorse and a great Apple Silicon upgrade path for a lot of people still using older Intel iMacs, Mac minis, and Mac Pros.

Via: ARS Technica