2023-06-08 12:00:00
We have already compared the new Mac Studio e Mac Promodels that were released last Monday (in WWDC23), with their previous generations. Now, it’s time to put the two face to face to observe the main similarities and differences between them, which are models of Macs aimed at professionals.
Is it worth paying (a lot) more to get the most complete Mac or did Mac Studio even take the place of the Pro, the last Apple computer to win a company processor?
These and other questions, we will answer with this detailed comparison between Mac Studio and Mac Pro!
Design
Although both are desktop computers, they have quite different designs, with two proposals that go once morest each other in several aspects.
The Mac Studio, as we well know, has a format that is very reminiscent of the Mac mini (with more or less twice its height) — as if it were a simple metal box. With its body covered in recycled aluminum in most of its structure, it does not have any extra “addresses” — which is possible thanks to its more compact look compared to other computers.
The Mac Pro, in turn, has a format that reminds us a lot of traditional PCs, being sold both in the tower configuration (vertical) and in the rack (horizontal). He is affectionately nicknamed “Mac Cheese Grater” out there.
The Mac Pro certainly has a more premium look than the Mac Studio and even has handles and “feet” to facilitate transport and accommodation of the machine. Even the famous “wheels” are available for anyone who wants an even more comfortable way to carry their computer.
weights and dimensions
Speaking of carrying, in terms of portability Mac Studio certainly wins. To give you an idea, the heaviest Mac Pro, in model rack, weighs a whopping 17.2kg — that’s more than 6x the weight of the Mac Studio with M2 Max (2.7kg) and more than 4x the weight of the model with M2 Ultra (3.6kg). The Mac Pro in the tower format is not far behind, with its 16.8 kg.
The dimensions don’t help the Mac Pro in this regard either, since it is taller (52.9cm in the tower model and 22cm in the rack), wider (21.8 cm in the tower model and 48.2 cm in the rack) and has greater depth (45cm in the tower model and 53.9cm in the rack) than Mac Studio, which is 9.5cm tall and 19.7cm both wide and deep in all its configurations.
This makes Mac Studio lighter and more comfortable to carry on a trip, for example. The Mac Pro’s larger design, on the other hand, makes it possible to include more components inside — including “greater modularity,” which we’ll discuss later.
Processing
Marking something (seemingly) unheard of in Apple’s lineup of computers, the Mac Pro simply competes in processing terms with the Mac Studio, which is sold with both the M2 Max processor and the all-new M2 Ultra — the same one that powers the company’s most advanced desktop.
Isolating the Mac Studio with M2 Max a little, its processor has 12 CPU coresCentral processing unitor central processing unit.”>1 (8 performance and 4 efficiency), 38 GPU coresGraphics processing unitor graphics processing unit.”>2 it is a Neural Engine 16-core processor with 400GB/s of memory bandwidth.
Jumping to the model with M2 Ultra, it has 24 CPU cores (16 for performance and 8 for efficiency), GPU with 60 or 76 cores and Neural Engine with 32 cores. Memory bandwidth, meanwhile, doubles to 800GB/s.
memory and storage
In terms of unified memory, the Mac Studio with M2 Max has options of 32GB, 64GB and 96GB — the latter only for models with 38 GPU cores — while the model with M2 Ultra has options of 64GB, 128GB and 192GB .
The options available on the M2 Ultra are the same as those for the Mac Pro — showing yet another similarity provided by the inclusion of the very same SoCSystem on a chipor system-on-a-chip.”>3 on the two machines.
Both can also be configured with storage (SSDsSolid-state drivesor solid-state drive.”>4) of 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or even 8TB, with the only difference being the possibility of configuring Mac Studio with M2 Max also with storage of “only” 500GB.
connectivity
Here lies a point where the Mac Pro has a wide advantage in some aspects, such as the number of available ports. It has eight Thunderbolt 4 ports, three USB-A, two for network connection and two HDMI.
Mac Studio, in turn, has six Thunderbolt 4 ports and two USB-A in the model with M2 Ultra, while the model with M2 Max has four Thunderbolt 4, two USB-A and two regular USB-C. Both have only one HDMI port, one for network connection and one slot for SDXC cards.
Another advantage of Mac Pro is the presence of no less than seven slots for PCI Express expansion — with one of them already occupied by the Apple I/O card. the six slots open ports support the Gen 4 standard and, although they are not compatible with dedicated video cards (such as AMD’s Radeon PRO line), they guarantee some level of modularity to the machine — something that is not present in Mac Studio.
But the two also carry many similarities in terms of connectivity. Both support up to eight 4K displays, six 6K displays or three 8K displays, as well as supporting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 when it comes to wireless connectivity.
With a 3.5mm audio output for headphones, the two computers also support Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID — but in the case of the Mac Pro these accessories are already included, not being necessary. purchase them separately.
Prices
To conclude the comparison, let’s analyze who is really in charge when buying a product: the pocket! ????
Mac Studio is sold at prices from R$23 mil for the model with M2 Max and of R$46 mil for the model with M2 Ultra. Focusing especially on the latter, it is possible acquire it for R$94 mil in maximum configuration (76-core GPU, 192GB unified memory and 8TB SSD).
Jumping to the Mac Pro, which starts with a value of R$75 mil in its minimum configuration in the tower model and R$80 mil not model rackit’s possible acquire it for R$123 mil in a configuration identical to the maximum of Mac Studio.
It is a considerable difference, of R$29 thousand, between one and the other. Pushing hard, it still reduces a measly R$2.4 thousand if we consider the values of the Magic Mouse It’s from Magic Keyboard com Touch IDsold separately on the Apple website.
Unless you are (a lot) keen on having the premium design of the Mac Pro in your hands or even you are a more advanced professional who will need the few more ports or the modularity offered by PCIe cards, Mac Studio ends up making more sense in the current scenario of Apple desktops.
Who knows in the future, if Apple manages to implement the rumored plans of an “Extreme” chip — who knows in the “M3” generation —, the Mac Pro will make even more sense in the line. Of course, it all depends on your needs and what you expect from a computer. ????
TRANSPARENCY NOTE: The MacMagazine you receive a small commission from sales completed through links in this post, but you, as a consumer, pay nothing more for products you purchase through our affiliate links.
1686227093
#Comparison #sense #buy #Mac #Studio #Mac #Pro
