With the current M - series Mac lineup , Apple is accept absolutely no prisoner . In this dog - eat - dog , endurance - of - the - fittest release cycle featuring theM3 , M3 Pro , and M3 Max chips , Apple show that it prioritizes perpetual advance . Apple has one flake left in the M3 series to be let go of , the M3 Ultra , and ifhistoryis any indication , it is poise to be an unbelievable powerhouse .
On paper , theM3 Max MacBook Prois substandard to the top - end M2 Ultra Mac Studio , but in drill , its performance in veridical - macrocosm scenarios gets very close . Both the execution and efficiency gains of the M3 Max lead to a potentially innovative microprocessor chip with the anticipated M3 Ultra .
Anew reportclaims the M3 Ultra is due to arrive this summer using a new enhanced 3 micromillimeter process , and when it bring the functioning of the new chip crammed into the small Mac Studio could be a supernova - level event for Mac user . allow ’s take a look at what the M3 Ultra Mac Studio will be like and how it will shake up the whole Mac card .
The M3 Max in the MacBook Pro gives us an idea of what to expect in an M3 U;tra chip.
Pro machines have been forever changed
For years , pro users and enthusiasts would have to compromise when choosing a Mac . Some would forego the sinewy Mac Pro and be content with the less functioning of a Mac mini or MacBook Pro to have a compact design . monetary value was an issue too , as the top - remainder geartrain always carried a significant bounty .
The M3 Max in the MacBook Pro gives us an idea of what to wait in an M3 U;tra chip .
Thiago Trevisan
The M3 Max in the MacBook Pro gives us an idea of what to expect in an M3 U;tra chip.
With Apple silicon , we ’ve consider that crack quickly dwindle . Performance in small machines is better than ever , and the price is not as stratospheric as it once was . That ’s because of the M - serial MacBook Pro and Mac Studio .
Remember when laptops were gravely handicap by electric battery biography , heating plant , and reduced organization performance due to the human body cistron ? Apple silicon has erase that , and the M3 Max is a glitter example .
spread out that laptop into a bigger housing such as the Mac Studio , and there ’s plenty of room for even Mac Pro - stratum hardware . This was demonstrated by the parity in performance between the newfangled M2 Ultra Mac Studio and Mac Pro .
The Mac Studio introduced a new concept to the Mac lineup: workstation performance in a compact form.
M3 Ultra Mac Studio: Potential performance
To get an idea of what we can expect from the M3 Ultra , we can probe the M2 Ultra Mac Studio and the newly - minted M3 Max MacBook Pro . Based on the spec , the M2 Ultra has a definite vantage , especially when it comes to the number of CPU and GPU cores .
In practice , the MacBook Pro ’s M3 Max chip pull off some stunning number that show there is more than meet the eye under the hood . InMacworld ’s M3 Max MacBook Pro brushup , the M3 Max bit bests the 24 - core M2 Ultra CPU in Geekbench 6 tests . The M3 splintering are on an entirely higher degree .
With real - world performance , the story continues . Here ’s a simple test with R3D Raw codec footage , a 20 - minute picture exported to ProRes HQ 422 in Final Cut Pro . R3D Raw is more heavily dependent on the GPU horsepower compared to other codecs , and the results are separate . ( solvent are in second . Lower times and little bars are good . )
Red raw 6K file export in Final Cut Pro
The newer Apple crisp reign the now - ancient AMD Radeon Vega II GPU , which was a high - end option back in 2019 . The MacBook Pro with M3 Max is virtually tie with the Mac Studio M2 Ultra .
software system is also rapidly being further optimized to take reward of Apple atomic number 14 Macs , which help to further explain how the late multiplication computer hardware is getting left behind .
There are certainly areas where the Mac Studio with M2 Ultra will still stand out , however . With its mighty 76 - sum GPU , some 3D use case will still be superscript to the M3 Max .
For model , inShadow of the Tomb Raiderin 4 K on high , the M2 Ultra accomplish an norm of 76 frames per instant . The MacBook Pro with M3 Max get down significantly less at 54 Federal Protective Service , show up the delta that still subsist between them .
If we assume carrying into action will go along to peak , the M3 Ultra in a Mac Studio will be an absolute powerhouse . An M3 Ultra with more GPU nitty-gritty will certainly blow the M2 Ultra out of the water supply , round down out the say-so that M3 chips are commence to asseverate .
Apple has place some attention on gaming with Macs , late showing off how M3 Max has computer hardware - accelerated ray trace and mesh blending . Pair these technological advancements with the raw power that an M3 Ultra will hold , and the pictorial matter becomes clean of how dominant it will be against the exist M2 Ultra .
M3 Ultra Mac Studio: What to expect
While there is no ratification or even put date when the supposed M3 Ultra is coming , based on the M2 Ultra Mac Studio button , it likely will be in the springiness or at WWDC in June . We ’ll see the M3 Ultra offered in the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro .
That will result in the Mac Studio being one of the most muscular machine for its sizing we ’ve ever ascertain . And the Mac Pro will continue as the option for those needing PCIe slots .
The Mac Studio enter a new concept to the Mac batting order : workstation performance in a compact conformation .
What does this stand for for buyers who have already endue in the Apple silicon ecosystem ? These late sacking cycle do seem to be more aggressive than is typical of Apple . The M3 , M3 Pro , and M3 Max were released 10 month after the M2 Pro and Max shipped . Should the M3 Ultra be released in June , it will come a year after the M2 Ultra . The cycle between the M1 and M2 series was about two years .
If the new MacBook Pros were just a minor refresh or color change , then it would be easy to not give the new spillage a second thought . But the M3 Max pack a significant rise in functioning over the M2 Max , as much as 43 pct in multi - core Geekbench 6 . This is also an index number that the M2 Ultra may be quickly outclass by the approaching M3 Ultra , leave the once - rife option further behind the curve than normal .
Apple ’s aggressive upgrade curve can make client unsure of what to do . It ’s different from the wheel of Intel Macs since Apple count on Intel ’s release schedule . Apple Si does streamline this process in party favour of advancing chop-chop . Couple that with some sluggish Mac sales in the last few calendar month , and Apple has an incentive to get exciting product released quick to entice new buyers .
The M2 Ultra is still a powerful cow dung . Existing owners need not interest about the late and sterling . While upgrade cycle have certainly gotten shorter with Apple silicon , the top - last performance is still more than capable for days to amount .
