Same for me. Won't be getting the ultra as that is too much for me but the max should be plenty. Hope UE will fly 
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Mac Studio Speculation [Merged]
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Generally you have three potential timeframes:
- Spring Event - March 2024
- WWDC - June 2024
- Fall Event - October 2024
Hoping it will be WWDC.
Hardware raytracing might put it in mid Nvidia 4000 series performance.
Hardware raytracing might put it in mid Nvidia 4000 series performance.
I'm in the same situation as you. Bought a 27" iMac last December to develop iOS and Vision Pro apps with UE. The CPU is fine for learning Blender and UE, but the GPU is just barely adequate. The 5K monitor, however is an epiphany. But to develop apps I'll need the graphical performance of the Studio M3 Ultra. Now that UE is AS native and the M3 has hardware raytracing The Studio Ultra should be a great platform. I wonder if the Studio will drive the 57" Samsung Odyssey Neo G9?
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For the m ultra series of Mac’s, they could push the power draw higher since it’s not dependent on a battery and not limit it so technically better performance right for gpu/cpu?
Same here.
UE 5.3 runs pretty well on my M1 Max Studio, but I'm definitely looking forward to the M3 Ultra next year. With HW raytracing, full Nanite support and lots of CPU/GPU cores, it should be a great machine for developing games in UE.
The problem I see with the M3 Max SKUs is that you have to choose the 40 GPU core model if you want the full 12P+4E core CPU AND you have to upgrade to 48GB RAM, which are another $500, even if you don’t especially need the better GPU and more RAM. Moreover, I expect the base SSD to be 1TB, which will probably increase the base price to at least $2399.
While the initial benchmarks of the M3 Max look promising, it is the future M3 Mac Studio that most interests me, primarily for a combination of photo/video editing and some software development.
Can we assume that the binned and unbinned M3 Max base options will be identical to the MBP 16? i.e.
14c CPU / 30c GPU / 36GB / 1TB SSD
&
16c-CPU / 40c GPU / 48TB / 1TB SSD
Given this, will we also expect a price increase of at least $200 to allow for the larger base-model SSD (up from 512GB to 1TB)? I suspect it might be even more given the differential between M2 Max and M3 Max base models (M2 Max 12/30 core was $3299 with 1TB, vs M3 Max 14/30 core is $3499).
So do we expect the Studio M3 14/30 core with 1TB to be at least $2399? With the unbinned 16/40 core with 48GB SSD to be another $500 on top of this?
The unbinned M3 16/40 core is likely to have an even wider differential to the M2 Max, with the $500 differential between the default "high-end" M2 and M3 specification as per the MBP 16 (M2 Max 12/38 core with 1TB was $3,499, and M3 Max 16/40 is $3,999). Even if split the difference between the M2 Max price with 32GB and 64GB RAM (to get to the M3 Max high-end 48GB baseline RAM), it only takes $200 off the price, still leaving a $300 increase from M2 to M3.
It would not surprise me to see the cheapest Mac Studio increase to $2499.
I imagine that we will have to wait until M3 Ultra is ready before the M3 Studio will launch. What are the likely timelines? March/April, June (for WWDC) or even later?
Can we assume that the binned and unbinned M3 Max base options will be identical to the MBP 16? i.e.
14c CPU / 30c GPU / 36GB / 1TB SSD
&
16c-CPU / 40c GPU / 48TB / 1TB SSD
Given this, will we also expect a price increase of at least $200 to allow for the larger base-model SSD (up from 512GB to 1TB)? I suspect it might be even more given the differential between M2 Max and M3 Max base models (M2 Max 12/30 core was $3299 with 1TB, vs M3 Max 14/30 core is $3499).
So do we expect the Studio M3 14/30 core with 1TB to be at least $2399? With the unbinned 16/40 core with 48GB SSD to be another $500 on top of this?
The unbinned M3 16/40 core is likely to have an even wider differential to the M2 Max, with the $500 differential between the default "high-end" M2 and M3 specification as per the MBP 16 (M2 Max 12/38 core with 1TB was $3,499, and M3 Max 16/40 is $3,999). Even if split the difference between the M2 Max price with 32GB and 64GB RAM (to get to the M3 Max high-end 48GB baseline RAM), it only takes $200 off the price, still leaving a $300 increase from M2 to M3.
It would not surprise me to see the cheapest Mac Studio increase to $2499.
I imagine that we will have to wait until M3 Ultra is ready before the M3 Studio will launch. What are the likely timelines? March/April, June (for WWDC) or even later?
straighter to the point, what do you folks think will the price of this be, +- ?
16c-CPU / 40c GPU / 48TB / 1TB SSD
16c-CPU / 40c GPU / 48TB / 1TB SSD
I think Apple will keep the price at $2k for the binned (14/30) M3 Max chip with 512gb SSD.
It will be at least $500 more to get the full (16/40) version, $300 for 16/40 and another forced $200 to get 48gb ram. Then on top they may charge another $200 to get 1TB SSD.
It will be at least $500 more to get the full (16/40) version, $300 for 16/40 and another forced $200 to get 48gb ram. Then on top they may charge another $200 to get 1TB SSD.
This is probably the best case scenario for a 16/40 core, 48GB, 1 TB M3 Max Studio. Assuming +$300 for the unbinned M3, +$200 for the extra 16GB RAM, and +$200 for the upgrade to 1TB SSD.
However, the base MBP 16 with M3 Max, has increased by $200 over the M2 Max, even allowing for a hidden $200 upgrade for the new default 1TB SSD. Binned M2 Max started at $3099 with 512GB SSD, and the cheapest MBP 16 with M3 Max is now $3499, so that’s a $200 increase after taking the larger M3 SSD into account.
So $2899 would not surprise me for the cheapest unbinned M3 Max Studio.
Thanks ! @donth8 and @Fomalhaut. I start to see the picture.
ok, lets hope for an initial of $1999. (vs. US market)
plus "not higher" upmargins for RAM/SSD as seen in the M3-MBPs
vs. Time:
i´d not wonder if they release earlier than the M2 last year.
At least the M3base/proMini and M3Studio-max at the same time.
I believe they will, March-April. They need to get their numbers up to satisfy their stockholders.
I think i´d put my bet on March as well. +- 1
wishful thinking: January-February.
edit: ahh, threads have been merged
wishful thinking: January-February.
edit: ahh, threads have been merged
Apple seems committed to an annual release for the M-series family (the January 2023 MacBook Pros were supposed to be Fall 2022). Now that the M-series has caught up to the A-series iPhone chips (M1=A14, M2=A15, but M3=A17, so the M-series are now only a month and a half behind the iPhone), the initial release has to be in late fall. If they released any of "this year's" M chips ahead of the iPhone, it would give a preview of what the phone's going to be (which they won't do - the chip of the year HAS to come out in the iPhone first)...
Unless they go to an "all one day" release strategy, in which the Ultra comes out in October alongside the other three chips, they have a problem. There will be a time when the Mac Studio (and Mac Pro if they bother) are a year behind the laptops. Even in a year where the performance increase is only 10 or 15%, that's not great - and in a year like this one, when they added a bunch of performance cores and GPU features to the Max, they could be in the embarrassing situation where their fastest machine is a laptop.
If they release the Studio only a little behind the other machines (say January), they don't have a long time when the Studio is eclipsed (only a couple of months by the time the top MacBook Pros start reaching users' hands), but they end up releasing it only six or seven months after its predecessor this year (that's fixed in the future if it goes on an annual cycle). They also end up with a situation in which all the excitement is crammed into a small portion of the year, from the iPhone in September to the Ultra in January, and all they have to release from February through the summer is existing chips in more form factors. People will know exactly what the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini are going to be, since the base and Pro chips will already be out.
Maybe that's OK - it'll save WWDC for the software (and maybe some quickie press-release hardware that surprises nobody) - unless they have a new hardware category like Vision Pro or a car. They can use March unsurprising computers like the Mini and MacBook Air, iPads, headphones and the like. This leaves a lot of WWDCs with no notable hardware (unless they have a new category, or if something that is left for WWDC like the Mini or Air gets a redesign)
On the other hand, the Studio is an awfully appealing WWDC release. The developer community loves it, and a lot of creative pros also keep an eye on WWDC. The problem with making it a WWDC release is that it's then 8 or 9 months after the lesser chips, and in the one year in three or four when they add cores to the Max, that's most of the year when the Studio looks a little silly.
I don't know which they prefer - I was a little surprised at the late fall release of three chips, because it causes this problem.
Unless they go to an "all one day" release strategy, in which the Ultra comes out in October alongside the other three chips, they have a problem. There will be a time when the Mac Studio (and Mac Pro if they bother) are a year behind the laptops. Even in a year where the performance increase is only 10 or 15%, that's not great - and in a year like this one, when they added a bunch of performance cores and GPU features to the Max, they could be in the embarrassing situation where their fastest machine is a laptop.
If they release the Studio only a little behind the other machines (say January), they don't have a long time when the Studio is eclipsed (only a couple of months by the time the top MacBook Pros start reaching users' hands), but they end up releasing it only six or seven months after its predecessor this year (that's fixed in the future if it goes on an annual cycle). They also end up with a situation in which all the excitement is crammed into a small portion of the year, from the iPhone in September to the Ultra in January, and all they have to release from February through the summer is existing chips in more form factors. People will know exactly what the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini are going to be, since the base and Pro chips will already be out.
Maybe that's OK - it'll save WWDC for the software (and maybe some quickie press-release hardware that surprises nobody) - unless they have a new hardware category like Vision Pro or a car. They can use March unsurprising computers like the Mini and MacBook Air, iPads, headphones and the like. This leaves a lot of WWDCs with no notable hardware (unless they have a new category, or if something that is left for WWDC like the Mini or Air gets a redesign)
On the other hand, the Studio is an awfully appealing WWDC release. The developer community loves it, and a lot of creative pros also keep an eye on WWDC. The problem with making it a WWDC release is that it's then 8 or 9 months after the lesser chips, and in the one year in three or four when they add cores to the Max, that's most of the year when the Studio looks a little silly.
I don't know which they prefer - I was a little surprised at the late fall release of three chips, because it causes this problem.
i´m not sure if this is a problem in 2023 ?
It might depend on the sales volume per the different mac formats ?
i can see how one could even make "this" a strategy.
I´d figure, thats even cool for the reputation.
At this point, waiting on a M3 Ultra for the Studio. I hope the Ultra chips will be released along with the other M3 Studios. Timing is tough to place only because of the June '23 M2 update. I really wish they would sync all the chip updates across the product line. Would make thing so much easier.
November 5, 2023, Gurman wrote: A new Mac Studio is in development.
Good news for 2024.
Good news for 2024.
New form factor or new CPU?
The M3 CPU is expected, haven't heard anything about a new chassis.
Maybe Apple discontinues Mac Studio because it flopped and thats why it didn’t receive M3. Thoughts?
Not a chance. The Studio is the new Pro form factor, without PCIE.
Sorry but this is hilarious. On what basis did you come to the conclusion that Mac Studio flopped or isn't getting M3 Max? Mac Studio gets M Max/Ultra always after MB Pros get it first. MBP got M1 Max in Oct 2021 and 5 months later Mac Studio was released with M1 Max/Ultra in March 2022.
MBP got M2 Max in Jan 2023 and 5 months later Mac Studio got M2 Max/Ultra in June 2022. Mac Studio M3 Max/Ultra will most likely come sometime in March-June 2024.
The first reason for MBP getting M Max first is that Apple sells mostly laptops so all the new chips go inside those first. The second reason is Apple have to/wants to wait until M Ultra is done so they can put Max/Ultra in Mac Studio at the same time.
The release of M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max are nearly 5 months behind, they were slated for July 2023, we know this by the fact they had previous operating systems on them and were locked from updated to the current. This is due to the 3nm process, which is coming in multiple forms including N3B, N3E and N3P etc... N3B is basically the first go at making 3nm chips and its terrible production quality and rates, hence the large % of binned processors, this is part of the manufacturing process, if the process fails because of 1 bad core, they can disable the core and sell it as the lower model. TSMC failed to make N3B or N3 Baseline anywhere near as good as apple required so apple had to hold up because of lack of production.
Its highly likely we will see M4 chips in the next revision vs m3 for the studio just because its a new type of manufacturing process so it carries generations improvements such as lower power consumption or high clock speeds.
Either way this release was 100% driven by TSMC and not by apple.
a great video explain what I talked about above.
Its highly likely we will see M4 chips in the next revision vs m3 for the studio just because its a new type of manufacturing process so it carries generations improvements such as lower power consumption or high clock speeds.
Either way this release was 100% driven by TSMC and not by apple.
a great video explain what I talked about above.
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