Another Apple Event has come and gone, which means it’s time for my favorite post-show activity: Checking out the bonkers pricing for the completely maxed out spec version of Apple’s latest computer device, the Mac Studio, on the Apple Store.
If you’d like to know right upfront without any of the specific spec details, here it is: $8,000. No monitor included.
This particular Apple Event was all about the Mac Studio, the latest new line in the company’s Mac computer series. Spec wise, this device fits right between the new M1 iMac and the Mac Pro, the last of the Mac computers that haven’t been refreshed with Apple’s M1 chip. It fits in that pro-user space all while looking like a big Mac Mini or roughly three Mac Minis stacked on top of each other.
Of course, Apple didn’t just announce a bigger Mac Mini at this event. Along with the Mac Studio, Apple announced its most powerful processing chip, the M1 Ultra. And, at least for now, the Mac Studio will be the only Mac that comes with the M1 Ultra inside. According to what Apple was promoting at the event, this bad boy can come with 128GB of RAM, which is quite frankly insane.
Apple announced a $1,999 starting price for the Mac Studio with the M1 Max at the event. But, come on. Why would you get the same chip you can get in a Macbook Pro? The point of the Mac Studio is the M1 Ultra!
The point of the Mac Studio is the M1 Ultra!
If you’re looking to purchase a Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip, then you’re looking at a starting point of $3,999. At this price, the Apple M1 Ultra comes with with 20-core CPU, 48-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine. But, again, why not max it out and go big? For an extra $1,000, you can upgrade your Mac Studio with the Apple M1 Ultra with 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine! More GPU cores!
Furthermore, Apple focused on the fact that you can install up to 128GB of memory in this thing! So, why stick with 64GB when you can double it for $800 more and get the same exact device that Apple was promoting at the event?
What about storage? The default Mac Studio model comes with 1TB. But what if you max it out with an 8TB internal SSD? That’ll cost you an extra $2,200.
So the total for a completely maxed out Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra, maxed out GPU cores, memory, and storage comes out to $7,999. Don’t worry, Apple did throw in a power cable.
Credit: Apple
And yes, that’s $8,000 before taxes. Before you add a monitor. (Throw in $1,599 if you also want the new Apple Studio Display monitor, or $1,899 for the Studio Display with nano-textured glass. And that doesn’t even include the stand.) For comparison, the last time I did this with a maxed out 16″ Macbook Pro with an M1 Max chip, the total cost was $6,099.
That may sound like a lot…and it is. But, wait for it. Remember how I mentioned the Mac Pro earlier? The one Mac that still hasn’t been refreshed with the M1 chip? That’s Apple’s top tier Mac computer, usually its most expensive. Apple teased at the event that it would be refreshing that one as well in the near future.
So, yeah, $8k for the new Mac Studio maxed out? That may sound like a bargain by the time the next Apple Event rolls around.
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