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Buy a Mac Studio now or wait?
- Thread starter NJRonbo
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Same dilemma - different perspective.
Back in 2021 I really needed to update my 2017 27” iMac, despite it being maxed out everywhere it could no longer deal with the video files I was throwing at it…
I seriously considered buying an Intel Mac Pro - but knew that a Silicon MP would be around the corner… yeah right! Then the M1 Max MBP got announced and I seriously thought about moving my operation over to a laptop… which would have worked… but I was reminded that the Silicon Mac Pro was coming… So I bought one of the last Intel 2020 iMacs, all maxed out and that’s what I still have now… except it’s now beginning to struggle with some of the 8K video files and is taking too long to render stuff…
The 2020 iMac was only every a stop gap machine until the Silicon Mac Pro came out… is what I told myself. Then the Mac Studio was announced and over the last year I have almost pulled the trigger on buying an Mac Studio M1 Ultra so many times I’ve lost count… every time its been to potential release of the Silicon Mac Pro that has stopped me…
So now here we are almost 2022 and there is still no Silicon MP, in fact it seems it’s as far away as it’s ever been with rumours of no M2 Extreme Chip and that we might have to wait for a M3 Extreme Mac Pro… will that even be 2023?
For me a Silicon MP that is expandable is ultimately going to be a better investment then a M1/M2 Mac Studio Ultra…
But all this waiting is beginning to bite as I really could do with upgrading the 2020 iMac now…
So I wait and hope I don‘t get in the weeds while I wait… if an M2 Studio is announced I might jump on that after all this time as who knows when silicon MP will ever make it… Hell by the sounds of it here may be a 27” Silicon iMac Pro this year… although I would buy the Studio over a Silicon iMac Pro every day… if only for the 6 TB4 ports…
back to the OP… at this stage of the game, maybe hang on until we get a few new machines, I think expecting the Studio to be upgraded around the 12 month mark is optimistic at best, but if its a spec bump to M2 I can see that happening and I think that’s worth waiting for,,,
Back in 2021 I really needed to update my 2017 27” iMac, despite it being maxed out everywhere it could no longer deal with the video files I was throwing at it…
I seriously considered buying an Intel Mac Pro - but knew that a Silicon MP would be around the corner… yeah right! Then the M1 Max MBP got announced and I seriously thought about moving my operation over to a laptop… which would have worked… but I was reminded that the Silicon Mac Pro was coming… So I bought one of the last Intel 2020 iMacs, all maxed out and that’s what I still have now… except it’s now beginning to struggle with some of the 8K video files and is taking too long to render stuff…
The 2020 iMac was only every a stop gap machine until the Silicon Mac Pro came out… is what I told myself. Then the Mac Studio was announced and over the last year I have almost pulled the trigger on buying an Mac Studio M1 Ultra so many times I’ve lost count… every time its been to potential release of the Silicon Mac Pro that has stopped me…
So now here we are almost 2022 and there is still no Silicon MP, in fact it seems it’s as far away as it’s ever been with rumours of no M2 Extreme Chip and that we might have to wait for a M3 Extreme Mac Pro… will that even be 2023?
For me a Silicon MP that is expandable is ultimately going to be a better investment then a M1/M2 Mac Studio Ultra…
But all this waiting is beginning to bite as I really could do with upgrading the 2020 iMac now…
So I wait and hope I don‘t get in the weeds while I wait… if an M2 Studio is announced I might jump on that after all this time as who knows when silicon MP will ever make it… Hell by the sounds of it here may be a 27” Silicon iMac Pro this year… although I would buy the Studio over a Silicon iMac Pro every day… if only for the 6 TB4 ports…
back to the OP… at this stage of the game, maybe hang on until we get a few new machines, I think expecting the Studio to be upgraded around the 12 month mark is optimistic at best, but if its a spec bump to M2 I can see that happening and I think that’s worth waiting for,,,
Some ice and some good intuition I would say when and what to buy.
Buy when you really need it, unless you want to buy and sell.
I think I've been good at that regarding the Mac’s and Apple products I’ve bought over the years.
You get a sense for it, at least I had for myself and my own purchases. Never regretted anything, though I’ve sold off some portables that I didn’t had so much use for as I thought more times then once for quite some time ago.
I, and everyone else, can only guess when it comes to what Apple will release and when. I can’t tell people when and what they should buy either. That would be trying to make predictions, or guess. Some may be right or dead wrong. But nobody who knows what Apple is coming out with and when.
Portable’s with M2 was a surprising release, so short after M1 release.
It surely doesn’t mean that everything will be upgraded to M2 in same manner. I think Apple wants to be unpredictable and have a lot of secrecy and fun at customers trying to predict them.
I would sure like to hear Apple's reasoning around M2 release. But I doubt we get to hear anything at all in depth about it. Or I can be wrong. Maybe someone know the coming timeline here 😉
Ah well, new iPhones is usually fairly predictable. Not always new models, or models that disappear though.
Buy when you really need it, unless you want to buy and sell.
I think I've been good at that regarding the Mac’s and Apple products I’ve bought over the years.
You get a sense for it, at least I had for myself and my own purchases. Never regretted anything, though I’ve sold off some portables that I didn’t had so much use for as I thought more times then once for quite some time ago.
I, and everyone else, can only guess when it comes to what Apple will release and when. I can’t tell people when and what they should buy either. That would be trying to make predictions, or guess. Some may be right or dead wrong. But nobody who knows what Apple is coming out with and when.
Portable’s with M2 was a surprising release, so short after M1 release.
It surely doesn’t mean that everything will be upgraded to M2 in same manner. I think Apple wants to be unpredictable and have a lot of secrecy and fun at customers trying to predict them.
I would sure like to hear Apple's reasoning around M2 release. But I doubt we get to hear anything at all in depth about it. Or I can be wrong. Maybe someone know the coming timeline here 😉
Ah well, new iPhones is usually fairly predictable. Not always new models, or models that disappear though.
I would say just buy it now. Who knows if an M2 model is coming this year or if it will even make a big difference in real world performance. If you wait it will probably be a boring update that offers nothing of substance vs the current model. Life is too short to sit around waiting for unannounced products that are always just around the corner. Worst case you sell the M1 version and upgrade if the new model is that compelling…I doubt it would be.
I have been at the apple store and tested the Mac Studio M1 Max periodically since it was released. My impression is that the software and even 3d on it has come a long LONG way since release due to system updates and software updates.
I did motion projects with many many 3d objects to test 3d rendering and GUI performance. Noticeably better last time I checked (millions of tris)
For 2d and video work, an amazing machine. It will chew through 4k 8k like crazy.
Rendering comps with 3D is supposedly not as performant, likely only if you have Ray Tracing involved however. And that might not be you.
I would say if your workload is alot of heavy video or pictures and illustration, I would buy. (3d modelling and sculpting is also very good supposedly)
If you are in a situation where you would need heavy Ray Tracing, I would say definitely wait for the update or go with Mac Pro Apple Silicon once it comes, since it is pretty much confirmed** they will get much better Ray Tracing aka Ray Tracing logic in the gpu.
As others have mentioned, it feels like Mac Studio wont get get an update until after Mac Pro has had it´s moment in the sun... But who knows, they might get the new silicon at the same time...
**Rumoured
I did motion projects with many many 3d objects to test 3d rendering and GUI performance. Noticeably better last time I checked (millions of tris)
For 2d and video work, an amazing machine. It will chew through 4k 8k like crazy.
Rendering comps with 3D is supposedly not as performant, likely only if you have Ray Tracing involved however. And that might not be you.
I would say if your workload is alot of heavy video or pictures and illustration, I would buy. (3d modelling and sculpting is also very good supposedly)
If you are in a situation where you would need heavy Ray Tracing, I would say definitely wait for the update or go with Mac Pro Apple Silicon once it comes, since it is pretty much confirmed** they will get much better Ray Tracing aka Ray Tracing logic in the gpu.
As others have mentioned, it feels like Mac Studio wont get get an update until after Mac Pro has had it´s moment in the sun... But who knows, they might get the new silicon at the same time...
**Rumoured
Agreed. Speaking from experience, my Mac Studio is the best computer I have ever owned. When Apple comes out with an update, my Mac Studio will still be great. Whether you buy now or later, you will have purchased a fantastic machine.
You're not going to see an M2 Max in a Mac Studio before you see it in a 16-inch MacBook Pro. Also, Apple hasn't had consistent annual refresh cycles for its desktops in many years. All that to say that if you want a Mac Studio now, there's no real reason to wait.
No. Because it is statistically unlikely that you're going to get a new Mac Studio model in 3 months!
The M1 Max/Ultra Mac Studio is going to be supported by Apple for many years to come. Future-proofing in the sense that you always want bleeding edge technology is foolhardy, especially in an age where you probably don't want to be an early adopter to anything Apple releases. All that to say that if you go out and buy a Mac Studio tomorrow, you won't be upset with how long it lasts you until it's time to replace it.
Where do you see that? They've not talked about a change in the Mac Studio chassis (which is, itself, brand new).
What is there to suggest that the M2 has a more reliable USB connection? Not saying I don't believe you, but I'd imagine that we'd have had some sort of indication of this given that the standard M2 has been out for six months already.
As far as the Midnight color is concerned, it is merely a rumor but one I would highly believe.
Apple always gives a compelling reason to upgrade to a second-gen product by offering a unique color. It is expected, for example, to be the case with the next ULTRA watch which many are expecting will be offered in a dark color.
Same thing with the STUDIO. Initially, the Pro Minis were offered in Space Grey. It makes sense, in an effort to differentiate itself from the current M1 model, a Midnight color could be designated to the M2.
Apple always gives a compelling reason to upgrade to a second-gen product by offering a unique color. It is expected, for example, to be the case with the next ULTRA watch which many are expecting will be offered in a dark color.
Same thing with the STUDIO. Initially, the Pro Minis were offered in Space Grey. It makes sense, in an effort to differentiate itself from the current M1 model, a Midnight color could be designated to the M2.
For sure wait if you want to wait.
IMHO - The Studio is the best Apple device I've bought since my 2015 iMac. I am on it for hours a day, every day. It just works. There's no BS at all.
My advice - buy one on a discount and feel good that you got the machine now and for some $$$ off. I doubt you regret it. Also - we don't know that the Studio will be in the next wave of M2 upgrades. They may do the MBP first so it could be a longer wait than March/April. Plus a BTO will almost definitely add time on top of that.
IMHO - The Studio is the best Apple device I've bought since my 2015 iMac. I am on it for hours a day, every day. It just works. There's no BS at all.
My advice - buy one on a discount and feel good that you got the machine now and for some $$$ off. I doubt you regret it. Also - we don't know that the Studio will be in the next wave of M2 upgrades. They may do the MBP first so it could be a longer wait than March/April. Plus a BTO will almost definitely add time on top of that.
Yeah, I am watching discounts. I can get $200 off the 64GB/1TB Max from Adorama with APINSIDER coupon ($2399)
That's not a bad discount. I am going to see if B&H Photo will Match it and then I can take off an additional $158 on taxes with the Payboo card.
Not sure if the discounts will get better than $200 as that is basically the same discount you get with education pricing.
If you use it to make money, buy it now. I have the base Studio and the M1 Pro MacBook Pro. Both are great systems and I use them to generate income and they both have their purposes. I had an M1 mini on the desktop but it just wasn't enough.
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I've been on the fence about upgrading from my old trashcan all year but finally pulled the trigger last week. Apple had the config I wanted in the refurb section for $500 less than a new machine, and so far it has been perfect (after downgrading to Monterey) besides some sleep issues. With how small a jump in performance the M2 laptops have been, and how much Apple loves to ignore desktop macs I would be surprised if it gets an update at all this year.
TSMC has supposedly started 3 nm production and there's been a lot written about M2 MacBook Pros on 3 nm early 2023. I think that's pretty optimistic though. I do not think that Apple needs to update the MacBook Pros soon as they really don't have any competition. I don't think that the Studio has any competition either. It would be great to see a 3 nm M2 Studio but it isn't going to make me run out to replace my M1.
Apple has a lot of stuff to deal with and iPhones are always higher on the priority list than Macs.
February-March to release a new Mac Studio seems a bit soon, June does seem more likely, but who knows. I am also looking to buy a Mac Studio and have decided to wait and see what happens. Unfortunately, I am not convinced that Apple will lower the price of M1 Studio if a M2 is announced.
It seems to me (from BTO ordering times and refurb store inventory changing frequently) that the Mac Studio is selling quite well. I am puzzled by this as I don't think that the average user needs the Studio and that the mini covers the needs of the vast majority. But it's hard to argue with what I'm seeing in addition to all of the folks coming to this forum to ask about the Studio.
Buy it now!
Any rumor saying you’ll see the Mac Studio updated in February or March is complete and utter nonsense.
Just look at EVERY OTHER MAC APPLE IS SELLING!
There was 20 months between the M1 and M2 MacBook Air.
There was 19 months between the M1 and M2 MacBook Pro.
There was 17 months between the M1 and M2 iPad Pro.
The current iMac is 19 months old.
The M1 Mac Mini is 25 months old.
The current MacBook Pro is 14 months old.
The Mac Studio? 9 months.
Not even a full year old.
And everyone talking about the MacBook Pro’s being updated in the spring need to remember that the original M1Max and M1Ultra were introduced 5 months apart.
A new Mac Studio is months and months away.
June at the earliest, but more than likely sometime in the fall.
Buy now, or you might be left waiting a long long time.
Any rumor saying you’ll see the Mac Studio updated in February or March is complete and utter nonsense.
Just look at EVERY OTHER MAC APPLE IS SELLING!
There was 20 months between the M1 and M2 MacBook Air.
There was 19 months between the M1 and M2 MacBook Pro.
There was 17 months between the M1 and M2 iPad Pro.
The current iMac is 19 months old.
The M1 Mac Mini is 25 months old.
The current MacBook Pro is 14 months old.
The Mac Studio? 9 months.
Not even a full year old.
And everyone talking about the MacBook Pro’s being updated in the spring need to remember that the original M1Max and M1Ultra were introduced 5 months apart.
A new Mac Studio is months and months away.
June at the earliest, but more than likely sometime in the fall.
Buy now, or you might be left waiting a long long time.
An important piece of the puzzle is -- what do you have now, and how painful is it to get your work done?
I very much want to buy a Pro/Max or maybe even Ultra class Apple-silicon desktop. But my current desktop is a 2020 27" iMac (8-core i7), which is still adequate for my needs -- it's not painful. So, I feel like I have the flexibility to wait for whatever replaces the current Pro/Max/Ultra, even if that replacement takes much longer to arrive than we'd all hope for. For example, I could wait another year or so, if absolutely necessary. In fact, that's why I bought the 2020 iMac when I did -- I knew Apple Silicon was around the corner, but I also knew it would take a while for the full lineup to come out, so I sprung for one of the best Intel options available at the time, figuring it would give me the flexibility to see how ASi played out.
The thing that most intrigues me is the possibility of an M2 Pro Mac mini. Depending on pricing, I could actually see buying two of those rather than a single Ultra Studio.
"Impossible question to answer. All I am asking is what would YOU do?"
I already did it two months ago in buying a Studio. But I agonized over the decision for months, because of the potential noise issue and because it seemed like more than I needed. It is more CPU than I need but it turns out that I did need the GPU and I definitely needed the display support. All of the ports area just a bonus.
I already did it two months ago in buying a Studio. But I agonized over the decision for months, because of the potential noise issue and because it seemed like more than I needed. It is more CPU than I need but it turns out that I did need the GPU and I definitely needed the display support. All of the ports area just a bonus.
So you wait until February, but then an upgraded Studio doesn't get announced. So you decide to buy the machine. Then you hear a rumor that there might be a bump in June. So you decide to wait until June, but no bump. So you decide to buy the machine. Then you hear a rumor about an upgrade in the fall. So you decide to wait. Will there be an upgrade next fall? No one knows. But a year will go by during which you have no Studio because you have spent the year waffling over whether it's the right time to buy or not.
I have the Payboo card and when I applied a few years back they let you use it instantly for your purchase when you applied during checkout, then I got the card in the mail a few days later. They were using a different bank then, maybe the new bank doesn't allow that any more? Still, here in CA it's hard to beat the prices I get on B&H with it. Very few sales on Macs or my photography gear can beat getting the sales tax taken off!