Comparison: Which is better, Mac Studio or Mac Pro?

Apple’s new Mac Studio is the company’s most powerful Apple Silicon machine yet. Here's how it compares to the Mac Pro, Apple's most powerful Intel-based Mac yet.

Mac Studio fills a new position in Apple's Mac product line between the Mac mini and Mac Pro. While it technically falls between these devices in the lineup, it actually outperforms the Mac Pro in every metric.

To see how Mac Studio offers more for less, here's a comparison of the two machines' CPU, graphics capabilities, and other considerations.

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro - Specifications

##Processor10 cores M1 Max20 core M1 Ultra8 core 3.5GHz Intel Xeon W28 core 2.5GHz Intel Xeon WMemory32GB unified memory, 64GB unified memory,32GB DDR4 ECC 2666MHz Up to 1.5TB of DDR4 EECGraphics CardM1 Max 24 CoresM1 Ultra 48 CoresAMD Radeon Pro W5500XAMD Radeon Pro W6900XMedia Encoding/DecodingMedia EngineMedia Engine-Apple AfterburnerStorage options512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TBPort 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports 6 Thunderbolt 4 portsTwo USB 3 portsTwo USB 3 portsConnectivityWireless Network 6Wireless Network 6802.11ac802.11 acBluetooth5.05.05.0 5.0PriceStarting at $1,999$7,999$5,999$45,799

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro - Chip and Performance

The Mac Pro is a modular machine, while Apple's M-series Macs are not.

Mac Studio offers multiple configurations, just like Mac Pro.

Apple’s baseline Mac Studio features the M1 Max chipset, which features a 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. The top-tier Mac Studio features the M1 Ultra chip, with a 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU, and 32-core Neural Engine.

Apple’s baseline Mac Pro features a 3.5GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz. The top-of-the-line Mac Pro features a 2.5GHz 28-core Intel Xeon W processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz.

In the Geekbench 5 test, the base model Mac Pro had a single-core score of 1,015, while the top-tier Mac Pro had a single-core score of 1,152.

While there are currently no benchmarks for the Mac Studio with the M1 Max, a similar 16-inch MacBook Pro test found the chip had a single-core score of 1,769. The Mac Studio with M1 Ultra had a single-core score of 1,793.

This difference becomes even more pronounced in multi-core scores. The base model Mac Pro has a multi-core score of 7993, while the 28-core Mac Pro has a score of 19951.

By comparison, the MacBook Pro with M1 Max had a multi-core score of 12,308, while the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra had a multi-core score of 24,055.

In other words, the top-of-the-line Mac Studio model available performs far better than the top-of-the-line Mac Pro in both single-core and multi-core tests, while costing and using far less power.

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro - Memory

Apple’s Mac Studio is not user-configurable.

Apple’s M-series chips feature what the company calls unified memory, which is embedded within the chip. Apple says unified memory technology allows various elements on the chip to access stored information without having to store that information in a specific memory pool.

The M1 Max can be configured with 32GB or 64GB of unified memory. If you upgrade to the M1 Ultra chip, you can add up to 128GB of unified memory to Mac Studio.

Apple’s Mac Pro comes with 32GB of DDR4 ECC memory. The base model runs at 2,666MHz, while all other options on the Mac Pro use 2,933MHz RAM modules.

Mac Pro can be configured with more memory if needed. Users can add up to 1.5TB of DDR4 ECC memory to their Mac Pro, but the upgrade will cost $25,000.

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro - Graphics Cards

The Mac Pro has a range of GPU options available.

In terms of graphics card capabilities, it's a bit difficult to compare between the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro because at the time of writing, there aren't any Geekbench 5 Metal benchmarks for the latest Mac models.

However, the M1 Max with a 32-core GPU on the MacBook Pro scored a Geekbench Metal score of 58950.

By comparison, the lowest-tier Mac Pro now comes with the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X, which scored 41874 in the same test.

Customers can configure their Mac Pro with a variety of graphics card options, including the Radeon Pro W6900X. Additionally, the Mac Pro can be equipped with a pair of Radeon Pro W6900X options.

AMD Radeon Pro W6900X tops the Geekbench Metal benchmark with a score of 170,100.

Apple's M1 Ultra hasn't been tested by Geekbench 5 Metal yet, but in Apple's own tests, the chip achieved better performance than "the highest-end discrete GPUs" while using less power. Graphics card performance.

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro - Media Engine vs. Afterburner

Mac Studio’s media engine is far superior to the Afterburner card.

The Mac Pro can be configured with an Afterburner card for $2,000, which Apple promises will speed up workflows involving video. Afterburner cards are PCI-E-based accelerators that can handle video codecs such as ProRes and ProRes RAW.

Apple's M-series chips feature an equivalent chip called the Media Engine, which is a silicon component that improves performance for video and media work.

On M1 Max, the media engine allows for simultaneous streaming of at least seven streams of 8K ProRes content. For the M1 Max, the media engine allows the chip to run up to 18 8K ProRes video streams.

As Apple pointed out when it launched the MacBook Pro, the M1 Max can handle more streaming than a 28-core Mac Pro with an Afterburner card. The M1 Ultra can handle more simultaneous streams than any other chip on the market.

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro - Upgrades and other key features

Mac Pro is highly modular and configurable.

In terms of onboard storage, both Mac Studio and Mac Pro offer the same range of SSD options: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB.

As mentioned earlier, Mac Studio can be configured with up to 128GB of memory, while Mac Pro can be configured with up to 1.5TB. However, the Mac Studio's memory is not user-upgradeable, while the Mac Pro's memory is.

Speaking of user upgradeability, the main appeal of the Mac Pro is that it can be configured with additional PCI Express or MPX module cards. Mac Studio, like other M-series Macs, doesn't support this level of modularity.

Depending on the graphics card installed, Mac Pro can run up to 12 monitors, 6 5K monitors, or 6 Pro Display XDR. The M1 Ultra can run up to four Pro Display XDR or 6K monitors, with a fifth monitor capable of up to 4K resolution.

The Mac Studio is also much smaller than the Mac Pro, with a shape similar to a souped-up Mac mini. This could be a boon for users with less space.

Apple’s Mac Studio comes with a range of ports, including four Thunderbolt 4 and two USB-C ports on the Max Max model or six Thunderbolt 4 ports on the M1 Ultra model. It also comes with two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, 10Gb Ethernet, and an SDXC card slot.

Mac Pro can be configured with up to 12 Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C ports, depending on configuration. It also comes with a pair of USB3 ports and dual 10Gb Ethernet ports. PCI Express expansion cards can add additional I/O to a machine.

In the box, the Mac Pro comes with a keyboard and mouse. However, Mac Studio does not.

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro - Pricing

Mac Studio is a great value, including powerful I/O.

There are significant differences in pricing between the two Mac models. Mac Studio starts at $1,999, while Mac Pro starts at $5,999.

Apple Mac Studio

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The 2022 Mac Studio can be configured with the M1 Max chip—or the new high-end M1 Ultra chip. The latter supports up to 128GB of RAM.

On Mac Studio, the most you'll pay for a fully loaded version is $7,999. These include the M1 Ultra, 128GB of unified memory, and an 8TB SSD.

The top-of-the-line Mac Pro configuration will cost more than $45,000 — though that includes 1.5TB of DDR4 memory. If you opt for a "more realistic" memory configuration, such as 192GB, you'll pay $25,000.

This Mac Pro configuration also includes a 2.5GHz 28-core Intel Xeon W processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz, an Afterburner card, and an 8TB hard drive.

In most cases, the M1 Mac Studio outperforms the Mac Pro

Mac Studio delivers significantly higher performance than even the top-tier Mac Pro, all at a lower cost.

As a result, it's hard to recommend the Mac Pro except for very specific use cases. If you absolutely need an Intel-based machine, or you can't live without a Mac of a certain spec level, the Mac Pro is your best choice.

For most professional users, Mac Studio is powerful enough to meet almost any performance or graphics need. In fact, it outperforms the Mac Pro in several tasks.

A	Mac Studio (M1 Max)	Mac Studio (M1 Ultra)	Baseline Mac Pro	Top Mac Pro
				Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz
	up to 64GB	up to 128GB
	2 USB-C ports 2 USB-A ports 10Gb Ethernet SDXC (UHS-II)	2 USB-A ports 10Gb Ethernet SDXC (UHS-II)	Up to 12 Thunderbolt 3 ports Dual 10Gb Ethernet 8 PCI Express card slots	Up to 12 Thunderbolt 3 ports Dual 10Gb Ethernet 8 PCI Express Card Slot
				2 10Gb Ethernet ports

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