5+ Things to Know About the Next Mac Studio

[Trusteft]

Yeah. Ruin a model/line by removing good things it used to have, when people stop buying it blame the people for not wanting it and thus you are doing everyone a favour by removing the product line. A perfect plan, I wander if Apple Intelligence made it up.

 

[Trusteft]

Really MR?? Pushing the RAM shortage nonsense and Apple capping RAM lower on the new models narratives? Are you even familiar with Apple?

I expect better from you guys. Apple has no history of reducing RAM (or even general specs) in new "upgraded" models including the newly released M5 products and in fact, the new models either stayed the same or increased.

Also, there's no relevance related to the M4/M3U Studio because they use different RAM than the M5s do as I mentioned in a previous post. Predicting a 256 GB cap is just uninformed/uneducated FUD. It's even more ridiculous than people who are overly optimistic about 1 TB of RAM which is 100X more likely than a 256 GB cap. Do better and learn about how supply chains work for products that are on the verge of being replaced.

Bottom line, there is no way Apple caps a pro level machine at 256 GB especially when they're leaning hard into using the MXU Studios for local AI models by sending maxed out M3Us to AI influencers to drive up demand ahead of the M5U debut... and you can take that to the bank.

I am not defending MR, but what they say makes sense. True or not, it makes sense. What you provide as counter argument is "because I don't like it this way".
I don't know what Apple will do. I don't care either. In this case it could go the way MR says. Will it? No idea. I admit considering the (I am assuming) low number of units sold with the highest RAM configurations, I don't see it beyond Apple to keep having the higher configurations and just, shockingly, ask for more money for them. But for the same reason they could also just not offer them any more. Time will tell.

 

[IncreasinglyFrustrated]

I am not defending MR, but what they say makes sense. True or not, it makes sense. What you provide as counter argument is "because I don't like it this way".
I don't know what Apple will do. I don't care either. In this case it could go the way MR says. Will it? No idea. I admit considering the (I am assuming) low number of units sold with the highest RAM configurations, I don't see it beyond Apple to keep having the higher configurations and just, shockingly, ask for more money for them. But for the same reason they could also just not offer them any more. Time will tell.

OP is right. The claim is idiotic. MR has repeatedly made the argument that the 512 discontinuation is likely due to hold-back for the upcoming launch. Without the Pro and with the rising popularity of local LLMs, it is a certainty they will launch something above 512 (640/768/or most likely 1TB) and they will tax the heck out of buyers for the privilege. I’m guessing $15k+ fully spec’d and many, including myself, will be forking it over 5 minutes after launch.

 

[rog]

For the price it should have been 4TB years ago. 1TB is how much my phone has and even that's nowhere near enough to keep only a small fraction of my photos and videos on it. Music alone is 300GB.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

If Apple made it taller they could call it the M5 Cube

 

[Trusteft]

For the price it should have been 4TB years ago. 1TB is how much my phone has and even that's nowhere near enough to keep only a small fraction of my photos and videos on it. Music alone is 300GB.

What music do you have that is 300GB? WAV?

 

[HVDynamo]

I’ve said this before, but the “trash can” form factor would be absolutely gorgeous for the Studio, and totally viable from a thermal standpoint. It’s a shame that design is essentially “cursed” in Apple’s eyes; otherwise it anticipated the Apple Silicon paradigm shift. It was just seven years too early. The Studio is arguably Apple’s most boring-looking Mac.

I feel like this is one area where the Tim Cook era diverged from Steve's ideology a bit. Prior to Steve's death Apple was more likely to not be the first to market, but the first to do it "right" once they did enter the market. Or at least in the case of the iPhone, they only entered once it could be done well enough. But the trashcan Mac Pro was just too ahead of it's time, and same with the 2016-2019 macbook Pro's where Intel couldn't provide a cool enough running chip, but Apple moved forward anyways with a bad thermal design for the power they needed. The technology is here now to effectively do those things, but it just wasn't back when they did it. If they brought back the TrashCan design, with accessible M.2 slots you could add, I'd buy one in a heartbeat (assuming it didn't start at $7000 F'ing dollars like the Mac Pro did...) I wanted a Mac Pro so bad when they announced it, but the price was just a hard pass for what it provided at the base entry.

The Mac Studio really needs a standard M.2 slot in it, and an easier way to take it apart just to clean dust out. The TrashCan design made that super easy.

 

[Matt2012]

I so want the M5 Studio Ultra but also so tired of waiting since the disappointing M3 Ultra / M4 Max Studio which were in no mans land for me.
I'm half tempted to buy a 16" MBP Max with extra Ram but then I'd need a dock with 10GB network so that adds nearly another £500 onto the price 🙁

I can almost guarantee If i did buy the MBP, the Studio would be released shortly after my return closes but if don't buy it, the Studio will still be months away.

 

[glockenSquish]

I’ve said this before, but the “trash can” form factor would be absolutely gorgeous for the Studio, and totally viable from a thermal standpoint. It’s a shame that design is essentially “cursed” in Apple’s eyes; otherwise it anticipated the Apple Silicon paradigm shift. It was just seven years too early. The Studio is arguably Apple’s most boring-looking Mac.

I’m still running a 2013 Mac Pro. It’s freaking gorgeous and I love it. It feels like a sturdy piece of aerospace engineering. It makes a beautiful, soft whir. It’s a workhorse. I’m upgrading to an M5 MacBook Pro, but my Mac Pro has been a rock solid music production workstation for 12 years. I’m truly sad to see it be shelved.

If they just took a Mac Studio, $1000 up-charge, offered a bit more ports, and, I dunno, fit something else in there — an air freshener? a dial up modem? Who cares? — put a 2013 trashcan shell over it, called it a Mac Pro, and made it whir, I would probably buy two. One for my studio, and one to cuddle every night.

 

[glockenSquish]

I so want the M5 Studio Ultra but also so tired of waiting since the disappointing M3 Ultra / M4 Max Studio which were in no mans land for me.
I'm half tempted to buy a 16" MBP Max with extra Ram but then I'd need a dock with 10GB network so that adds nearly another £500 onto the price 🙁

I can almost guarantee If i did buy the MBP, the Studio would be released shortly after my return closes but if don't buy it, the Studio will still be months away.

Right there with you. Maybe we both bite the bullet and just get the MBP. How long is the return window?

 

[MacGizmo]

The Mac Studio really needs a standard M.2 slot in it, and an easier way to take it apart just to clean dust out.

I have no need for the extra slot, but I think you've hit the nail on the head with a 50lb hammer with the case removal for cleaning purposes comment. I've had my Studio since its release, and while I keep a fairly clean desk I can only imagine how much dust has collected inside. I would love to be able to just unscrew the outer case to blow out the dust buildup.

 

[MiamiFL]

I am not defending MR, but what they say makes sense. True or not, it makes sense. What you provide as counter argument is "because I don't like it this way".
I don't know what Apple will do. I don't care either. In this case it could go the way MR says. Will it? No idea. I admit considering the (I am assuming) low number of units sold with the highest RAM configurations, I don't see it beyond Apple to keep having the higher configurations and just, shockingly, ask for more money for them. But for the same reason they could also just not offer them any more. Time will tell.

If that's your take away it means you didn't read my post at all because my counter arguments were anything but "because I don't like it this way". I cited numerous pieces of evidence. Learn to read.

 

[svish]

Think there will be a price hike. Other than the speed improvements the new chip will bring, expecting nothing else to remain the same.

 

[glockenSquish]

Just gonna say, Apple computers used to look like this. Behold, the lowest possible hanging fruit for a legendary Mac Pro revival design.

 

[HVDynamo]

I have no need for the extra slot, but I think you've hit the nail on the head with a 50lb hammer with the case removal for cleaning purposes comment. I've had my Studio since its release, and while I keep a fairly clean desk I can only imagine how much dust has collected inside. I would love to be able to just unscrew the outer case to blow out the dust buildup.

The only thing that I think might help them is that I imagine they don't run the fans all the time like in the macbook pro's. So when it's sitting idle they might not even be running? But I'm not 100% sure. Could check with Macs fan control.

 

[Onelifenofear]

Killing Mac Pro sucks and they are killing their own pro markets after all.

The Studio and the Pro had exactly the same chips and ran the same speed - the only differences were the PCIE and Thunderbolt 5 is way more than 99% of what people need. I certainly agreed when thunderbolt 3 was the around in 2019.

The GPUs are now integrated and are way more efficient that any PCIE card... my Mac Pro has a dual Vega 2 and while still a beast 7 years on it's SO power hungry. the latest Mac Studio whole machine runs at about 1/5th the power than just my card.

While some insane raid configs in PCIE can hit huge figures - like 80GB/s they require more x16 Pcie 5 slots that A Mac Pro would ever have or even fit.

I always thought they would go for a stacked system with an External GPU/ML module. There were rumors of them producing separate GPUs using apple silicon.

This is absurd, Apple is going to sell more memory. They’re just going to make sure you pay for it (and I will).

Apple is in a bit of a bubble with RAM they have massive multi year deals (10 years+) with their suppliers with quotas. The companies have to supply at the prices agreed. This is mostly for the Laptops and Desktops. This is why the Laptops are now way better value than PC equivalents.

The iPhone is more flexible and their 12gb modules have doubled in price from $15 to $30... something Apple can soak up without too much issue.

I am surprised that Apple just hasn't bought or created its own Memory FAB plant by this point.

 

[Matt2012]

Right there with you. Maybe we both bite the bullet and just get the MBP. How long is the return window?

14 days in uk i think. I’ll maybe wait until close to WWDC in June before ordering the MBP to see if the studio does get announced. Not holding my breath though as it’s been quite disappointing since the original M1 Studio release which was great at the time and a real sense of excitement then.

 

[Agent007]

using the MXU Studios for local AI models by sending maxed out M3Us to AI influencers to drive up demand ahead of the M5U debut... and you can take that to the bank.

lol, sorry, I'm not buying the narrative that "local AI models" are anywhere near that popular. I'm not even convinced they'll offer a 512GB option IF there's an M5 Ultra. I think they're dropping the highest end configurations because they sell very few of them and Tim Cook knows that the same silicon being used for one 512GB Studio can, alternatively, provide enough RAM for over 40 A19 Pro chips.

 

[timcorin]

lol what an article. I don’t think there is more than 2 things to ‘know’ or learn from that article. Honestly, for each header it’s basically ‘we don’t know’

 

[theluggage]

Apple has been dealing with soaring DRAM and NAND flash prices, and the fact that only models with higher RAM are unavailable suggests it's a supply issue and not an indication of a refresh.

If a model is sold out, all you can really deduce is that Apple don't have any left to sell and it is uneconomic to make any more right now. The "uneconomic" bit could be because of component shortages, it could be because a model isn't selling well or it could be because a refresh is imminent... or - most likely - a combination of all three.

Apple's best bet in getting hold of scarce RAM is to secure long-term contracts for large quantities. The M5 Ultra is unlikely to use the exact same chips as the M3 Ultra (esp. since it's skipping a generation) and probably nothing else in the range uses those chips so getting a small batch to meet demand for 512GB Studios for just a couple of months would likely be horrifically expensive. As would manufacturing a tiny batch of 512G SoCs, a tiny batch of Studio Ultra logic boards and internationally distributing a tiny batch of 512G M3 Ultra Studios.

 

[opeter]

I have a strange feeling, that the upcomming Mac Studio will see a drastically price increase - at least 500 if not 1000 USD. So it is a bit question, if the starting price will stay $1,999.

 

[azentropy]

I have a strange feeling, that the upcomming Mac Studio will see a drastically price increase - at least 500 if not 1000 USD. So it is a bit question, if the starting price will stay $1,999.

Maybe. But I could then see them then adding a Max option to the Mac mini to fill that gap. I'd be good with that.

 

[theluggage]

Just gonna say, Apple computers used to look like this. Behold, the lowest possible hanging fruit for a legendary Mac Pro revival design.

So... a Mac Studio in an acrylic outer case that makes it look like it's floating.
Will it still overheat and crack the case?

I’ve said this before, but the “trash can” form factor would be absolutely gorgeous for the Studio, and totally viable from a thermal standpoint.

You mean "totally irrelevant from a thermal standpoint". The trashcan was built around 3 vertical circuit boards (not including the power supply and I/O daughterboard) - each with a massive heat source in the centre. Completely wrong for Apple Silicon's single-SoC design with one primary heat source and a logic board smaller than any one of the Trashcan's three boards.

Meanwhile, the Studio sits happily in the wasted space under a display screen, with the front ports accessible, and can be stacked with hubs/storage etc.

Not saying that the Studio couldn't be improved on, but the trashcan isn't the way to go.

But the trashcan Mac Pro was just too ahead of it's time

There were two "courageous" design decisions with the Trashcan:

1. No internal expansion (beyond RAM & that was still limited c.f. tower workstations) - Even the SSD daughterboard was proprietary and not officially upgradeable. Everything relied on Thunderbolt 2. Just ahead of its time? Maybe.
2. The thermal design locked it into an inflexible 1xCPU + dual medium-power dGPU architecture which never caught on and for which viable upgrades never appeared. Just ahead of its time? - Nope, it was just a straight bad call that took Apple 4 years to admit and 6 years to fix. The cylinder/triangular thermal core idea isn't coming back.

(1) ...may even have worked if Apple hadn't let the original Mac Pro die on the vine & launched the trashcan as an alternative. By the time the Trashcan launched, the classic Mac Pro was thoroughly outdated and had been discontinued for a year in the EU because Apple couldn't contrive to add a simple fan guard). That was dumb at the time, when Macs were basically PC clones blessed to run MacOS & rolling out an updated Xeon tower alongside it would hardly have been the Manhattan project. Mind you, one and done has been standard operating practice for Mac/iMac Pro for a while...

The Mac Studio came out when:
(a) Apple were in full control of the CPU/GPU design & future roadmap
(b) Thunderbolt and USB 3.x were faster and better supported
(c) The 2019 Mac Pro was still available for a year or so, then the 2023 MP offered a stopgap for users with legacy PCIe I/O cards (that's all it was). So the Studio has had 4 years to establish itself beside a still-current tower Mac Pro.

 

[Veinticinco]

Some of us were even hoping the MacBook Neo would revive the 12-inch form factor. I think that ship has sailed now but it is interesting that some of Apple’s biggest design swings were during the Intel era. The Apple Silicon era has been surprisingly conservative in that regard.

I think with the departure and non-replacement of Jony Ive, industrial design has been relegated to the back of the room at Apple, and sadly I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

 

[omenatarhuri]

M2 Ultra still going strong. Lovely Mac.

My favorite is still the iMac G5.