What are all the differences between the Mac Studio "M1" (2022) models? Which one is best for me?

The Mac Studio "M1" (2022) models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A has been updated subsequently and can be quite helpful for anyone buying or selling one of these Macs on the used market.

As classified by EveryMac.com, there are two stock 2022 Mac Studio models -- the Mac Studio "M1 Max" 10 CPU/24 GPU and Mac Studio "M1 Ultra" 20 CPU/48 GPU -- as well as two configure-to-order models, the Mac Studio "M1 Max" 10 CPU/32 GPU and Mac Studio "M1 Ultra" 20 CPU/64 GPU.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mac Studio - Front)

Although these models look identical, there actually are substantial external and internal differences between the Mac Studio M1 Max and M1 Ultra models.

External Differences

The Mac Studio M1 Max and M1 Ultra share the same cuboid case -- 3.7 inches tall and 7.7 inches wide and 7.7 deep. However, if you pick each of them up, you will immediately notice that the M1 Ultra is a full two pounds heavier -- 7.9 pounds rather than 5.9 pounds -- because the higher performance and higher heat M1 Ultra uses a copper heatsink for cooling whereas the M1 Max uses an aluminum one.

Connectivity Differences

Connectivity is a notable difference between the Mac Studio M1 Max and M1 Ultra.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mac Studio - Rear Ports)

Both models include an SDXC (UHS-II) card slot on the front and four Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C shaped connector), two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a 10-Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the back. Both have 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5.0, and support "up to" five simultaneous displays -- four displays "up to" 6K resolution (6016x3384) at 60 Hz via USB-C and one display "up to" 4K (4096x2160) at 60 Hz via HDMI.

The unlabeled, front-mounted ports look the same, but they actually are quite different. The entry-level Mac Studio M1 Max has two USB-C ports (up to 10 Gb/s) whereas the higher-end Mac Studio M1 Ultra has two much faster Thunderbolt 4 ports (up to 40 Gb/s).

Identification Differences

As diligently hand documented by EveryMac.com, the 2022 Mac Studio models share the same Model Numbers and EMC Numbers on the hardware itself, but have different Model Identifiers in software.

The Model Number and EMC Number also can be useful to collectively identify these Mac Studio models -- and uniquely compared to later models -- but the Model Identifier is a more specific way to differentiate between these systems:

Mac Studio	Model No.	EMC No.	Model ID
M1 Max	A2615	3988	Mac13,1
M1 Ultra	A2615	3988	Mac13,2

EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature can identify these models by other identifiers, as well.

More information about specific identifiers is provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.

Internal Differences

Internally, there are the most significant differences between the entry-level Mac Studio M1 Max and the higher-end M1 Ultra. Both models use similar internal designs, but there are many component differences.

The M1 Max models use 10-Core CPUs, have 24-Core or 32-Core GPUs, a 16-Core Neural Engine, 400 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and an aluminum heatsink. By default, they ship with 32 GB of RAM (upgradable to 64 GB of RAM only at the time of purchase) and 512 GB of SSD storage (upgradable to 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, or 8 TB at the time of purchase).

The M1 Ultra models, on the other hand, use 20-Core CPUs, have 48-Core or 64-Core GPUs, a 32-Core Neural Engine, 800 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and a copper heatsink. By default, they ship with 64 GB of RAM (upgradable to 128 GB only at the time of purchase) and 1 TB of SSD storage (upgradable to 2 TB, 4 TB, or 8 TB at the time of purchase).

Comparison Chart

The specific differences between processors, graphics processors, configurations, connectivity, identifiers, and prices for the standard Mac Studio models are summarized below:

	Mac Studio M1 Max	Mac Studio M1 Ultra
Std. Processors:	3.2 GHz M1 Max	3.2 GHz M1 Ultra
CPU Cores:	10-Cores	20-Cores
GPU Cores:	24-Cores*	48-Cores*
Neural Engine:	16-Core	32-Core
Memory Bandwidth:	400 GB/s	800 GB/s
Heatsink:	Aluminum	Copper
Std. RAM:	32 GB	64 GB
Max. RAM:	64 GB†	128 GB†
Std. Storage:	512 GB	1 TB
Wi-Fi:	802.11ax	802.11ax
Thunderbolt 4:	4 Ports	6 Ports
10-Gigabit Ethernet:	Yes	Yes
Order Number:	MJMV3LL/A	MJMW3LL/A
EMC Number:	3988	3988
Model Identifier:	Mac13,1	Mac13,2
Weight:	5.9 lbs. (2.7 kg)	7.9 lbs. (3.6 kg)
Intro Price (US):	US$1999	US$3999
Intro Price (UK):	£1999	£3999
Intro Price (CA):	C$2499	C$4999
Intro Price (AU):	A$3099	A$6099
Intro Price (SG):	S$2899	S$5899

* The Mac Studio M1 Max also was available with a 32-Core GPU available by custom configuration. The Mac Studio M1 Ultra also was available with a 64-Core GPU via custom configuration.

† The RAM in the Mac Studio M1 Max could be upgraded to 64 GB at the time of purchase via custom configuration. The RAM in the Mac Studio M1 Ultra could be upgraded to 128 GB at the time of purchase. The RAM cannot be upgraded after the initial purchase of the system at all.

For pricing information in dozens of other countries, refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.

So, is a Mac Studio M1 Max or M1 Ultra best for me?

Ultimately, just compared to one another -- and ignoring other Macs and subsequent Mac Studio models -- whether the Mac Studio M1 Max or M1 Ultra is best for you largely comes down to whether or not you use software that can take advantage of multiple processor cores and graphics cores.

The Mac Studio M1 Ultra costs twice as much as the Mac Studio M1 Max but both models are the same speed in single core tasks. In multicore tasks, on the other hand, the Mac Studio M1 Ultra is around 88% faster (and it includes twice as much RAM and storage by default, as well).

Demanding high-end software like audio editing, video editing, 3D modeling, and scientific applications that are optimized for multiple cores will be massively faster on the M1 Ultra. Those who need this power, and have the budget, likely will be best served by the Mac Studio M1 Ultra. Those who do not should be fine with the Mac Studio M1 Max (or even the Mac mini M1).

New & Used Mac Studio Purchase Options

There are an abundance of places to buy a new Mac Studio. However, purchasing from a well respected business with a solid track record in the Mac game will provide the ideal experience and save you money and time, too.

In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new Mac Studio models with free shipping. Other World Computing sells used and refurb Macs at bargain prices with free shipping, as well. Finally, if you need to sell a Mac Studio or just about any other recent Mac, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac will buy your older Mac with an instant quote and prompt payment.

In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used Macs with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.

Please also refer to EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any Mac Studio to any other Mac.