Chip (Processor)

M4 Max and M3 Ultra are both incredibly powerful chips that take performance to a whole new level. Choosing the right one for you depends on the type of work you’ll be doing.

M4 Max

M4 Max features a 14- or 16-core CPU and a 32- or 40-core GPU, coupled with up to 546GB/s of memory bandwidth and 36GB to 128GB of unified memory. It includes a 16-core Neural Engine and a powerful Media Engine with H.264 and HEVC support and ProRes encode and decode and AV1 decode.

M4 Max can easily run multiple pro applications at the same time. It is equally capable of handling CPU‑intensive tasks like photo editing and compiling code and GPU‑driven tasks like 8K video post‑production or working with complex 3D content. The Neural Engine can speed through machine learning work, while the dedicated Media Engine lets you play back up to 18 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video.

Mac Studio with M4 Max supports up to five external displays.

M3 Ultra

The most powerful chip ever in a Mac, M3 Ultra features a 28‑ or 32-core CPU and a 60- or 80-core GPU, a 32‑core Neural Engine, and 819GB/s of memory bandwidth. It also includes a dedicated Media Engine that lets you play back up to 24 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video.

M3 Ultra brings mind-bending processing power and bandwidth for even the most demanding workflows, like building elaborate 3D models, color grading a feature film, or animating 3D scenes and rendering at the same time.

M3 Ultra also lets you configure your Mac Studio with 96GB to 512GB of unified memory. This is an enormous amount of RAM so you can run massive datasets for large language models locally. It also dramatically improve performance when you’re working with very large files such as augmented reality models, music scores with huge virtual instrument libraries, or complex 8K video timelines.

Mac Studio with M3 Ultra supports up to eight external displays.

Memory

Your Mac relies on memory to keep the files and apps you’re running open and available. Memory stores data temporarily, providing much faster access to your apps and files than storage.

M-series chips include unified memory, which is more efficient than traditional RAM. This single pool of high-performance memory allows apps to efficiently share data between the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine — so everything you do is fast and fluid. This means you can do more with unified memory than you could with the same amount of traditional RAM.

The amount of memory that’s right for you depends on how you will use your Mac. The more memory you choose, the more apps you can run simultaneously and the better they will perform. Keep in mind that different chips support different memory and storage options.

36GB

Great for using everyday productivity apps, browsing online, streaming movies, messaging with friends and family, editing photos and personal video, and playing games. And for multitasking across pro apps, including professional video editing.

96GB

Best if you typically work on projects that require large files and content libraries, or if you multitask with memory-intensive pro apps.

Note: Unified memory is not user accessible. If you think you may need additional memory, it’s a good idea to add it now.

Storage

Mac uses fast SSD storage to store your apps, documents, photos, movies, music, and other files and libraries.

How much storage you need depends on how you use your Mac. The more storage you have, the more files your Mac can hold and the faster it can access them when needed.

A good place to start is to check how much storage you’re using now on your current computer. On a Mac, go to System Settings > General > Storage to learn how much storage you’re using. If you’re nearing your limit, it’s a good idea to consider a larger capacity.

Note: Storage is not user accessible. If you think you’ll need more internal storage in the future, you’ll want to select your capacity with that in mind now.