TL;DR: Apple announced a second-generation Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips at WWDC Monday. Head to Best Buy or the Apple Store to reserve it starting at $1,999 ahead of its June 13 launch.
The Apple Mac Studio got its first big upgrade at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) Monday.
Set for release on Tuesday, June 13 (with preorders live now), the second iteration of Apple's premium compact desktop will come in two new configurations with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. They'll offer improved performance and connectivity while preserving the same boxy aluminum design as last year's M1 Ultra-powered model.
M2 Max vs M2 Ultra specs
Launched earlier this year alongside a MacBook Pro and Mac Mini, the M2 Max has a 12-core CPU, up to a 38-core GPU, and up to 96GB of memory with 400GB/s of memory bandwidth. That shakes out to a 50 percent speed boost over the M1 Ultra, Apple said.
Meanwhile, the M2 Ultra is an entirely new custom silicone chip featuring a 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU, and up to a hefty 192GB of memory with 800GB/s of unified memory bandwidth. Apple called it "a monster of a chip" that's twice as powerful as the M2 Max and up to three times faster than the M1 Ultra.
Both variants of the new Mac Studio come with WiFi 6E for zippier download speeds, Bluetooth 5.3, and a higher-bandwidth HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution and 240Hz frame rates. (The M2 Ultra version can supposedly handle up to six of Apple's Pro Display XDRs to drive over 100 million pixels, in case you're trying to DIY some kind of badass control room.) You'll get four Thunderbolt 4 ports and two USB-A ports for peripherals, plus two USB-C ports and an SD card slot for easy photo importing. It doesn't ship with its own display, so you'll have to buy that separately.
Here's where you can lock in a preorder ahead of next week's launch:
Where to buy the M2 Max Mac Studio
The M2 Max-equipped Mac Studio is up for grabs at Best Buy and in the Apple Store.
It starts at $1,999 for a system with a 12-core CPU, a 30-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, 32GB of unified memory, and 512GB of built-in storage. You can upgrade to a 38-core GPU, increase its memory to 64GB or 96GB, boost its storage to 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB, and opt to have it pre-installed with Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.
2023 Apple Max Studio (M2 Max)2023 Apple Max Studio (M2 Max)Where to buy the M2 Ultra Mac Studio
The beefed-up Mac Studio with the new M2 Ultra chip starts at $3,999 with a 24-core CPU, a 60-core GPU, a 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB of unified memory, and 1TB of storage. Optional upgrades include a 76-core GPU, 128GB or 192GB of memory, a storage capacity of 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB, and pre-installed copies of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.
It's also available exclusively at Best Buy and in the Apple Store.
2023 Apple Mac Studio (M2 Ultra)2023 Apple Mac Studio (M2 Ultra)UPDATE: Jun. 6, 2023, 10:17 AM EDT This story has been updated with new availability.
