How fast are the Mac Studio "M1" (2022) models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro?

In the corporate press release for the initial Mac Studio models released in 2022 -- the Mac Studio "M1 Max" 10 CPU/24 GPU and Mac Studio "M1 Ultra" 20 CPU/48 GPU -- Apple boasts in the subtitle that these Macs provide "unprecedented" performance; the company then goes on to use the word "performance" a whopping 64 more times.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mac Studio)

Apple even released a second press release that heralds the M1 Ultra as the "world's most powerful chip for a personal computer."

If that's not already enough of a hint that the Mac Studio models are fast, Apple even backs up this swagger with specific performance claims:

Mac Studio Powered by M1 Max Enables:

• Up to 2.5x faster CPU performance than the fastest 27-inch iMac with 10-core processor.
• Up to 50 percent faster CPU performance than Mac Pro with a 16-core Xeon processor.
• Up to 3.4x faster graphics performance than the 27-inch iMac, and over 3x faster than Mac Pro with its most popular graphics card.
• Up to 7.5x faster than the 27-inch iMac, and up to 3.7x faster than 16-core Mac Pro when transcoding video.

Mac Studio Powered by M1 Ultra Enables:

• Up to 3.8x faster CPU performance than the fastest 27-inch iMac with 10-core processor.
• Up to 90 percent faster CPU performance than Mac Pro with 16-core Xeon processor.
• Up to 60 percent faster CPU performance than 28-core Mac Pro.
• Up to 4.5x faster graphics performance than the 27-inch iMac, and up to 80 percent faster than the fastest Mac graphics card available today.
• Up to 12x faster than the 27-inch iMac, and up to 5.6x faster than 28-core Mac Pro when transcoding video.

With detailed performance info, it is quite apparent that the Mac Studio models are fast.

However, it always is wise to view the claims of any marketing department with a bit of skepticism. Independent, unbiased test results can be particularly worthwhile accordingly.

General Performance Overview

For a helpful overview of the performance difference between the Mac Studio models and other Macs, EveryMac.com's own Ultimate Mac Comparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side Geekbench benchmark averages with all other G3 and later Macs for thousands of possible performance comparisons.

This Q&A combines Geekbench 5 benchmarks with our own independent evaluation for a deeper dive into the performance of these Macs.

2022 Mac Studio M1 Max vs. 2022 Mac Studio M1 Ultra

Compared to one another, the entry-level Mac Studio "M1 Max" 10 CPU/24 GPU and high-end stock Mac Studio "M1 Ultra" 20 CPU/48 GPU are the same speed in single core tasks, but with twice the processor cores and graphics cores (and twice the price), the high-end model is around 88% faster in multicore tasks than the entry-level option.

2020 27-Inch iMac vs. 2022 Mac Studio

Compared to the two fastest custom configured 2020 27-Inch iMac models (discontinued when the Mac Studio was introduced), the Mac Studio line is significantly faster:

2020 27-Inch iMac	2022 Mac Studio	Single Core	Multicore
"Core i7" 3.8 (5700/XT)	"M1 Max" 10/24	+40%	+56%
"Core i9" 3.6 (5700/XT)	"M1 Ultra" 20/48	+40%	+161%

Of course, it also is worth noting that these iMac models include a display and are more upgrade-capable, but the Mac Studio is undeniably faster across the board.

2020 M1 Mac mini vs. 2022 Mac Studio

You might be surprised that the much cheaper M1 Mac mini actually holds its own with the significantly more expensive Mac Studio models in single core tasks:

M1 Mac mini	2022 Mac Studio	Single Core	Multicore
"M1" 3.2 (2020)	"M1 Max" 10/24	+4%	+68%
	"M1 Ultra" 20/48	+4%	+215%

The M1 Mac mini starts at just US$699 whereas the entry-level Mac Studio costs US$1999, or 186% more. Nevertheless, the Mac Studio models leave the M1 Mac mini in the dust in multicore tasks.

2019 Mac Pro vs. 2022 Mac Studio

Compared to the highest-end Intel-powered Mac Pro models released three years earlier, both Mac Studio models are faster in single-core tasks, but the entry-level Mac Studio actually is slower in multicore tasks:

Intel Mac Pro	2022 Mac Studio	Single Core	Multicore
"24-Core" 2.7 (2019)	"M1 Max" 10/24	+56%	-29%
"28-Core" 2.5 (2019)	"M1 Ultra" 20/48	+55%	+22%

Of course, the 24-Core Mac Pro has 24 processor cores compared to just 10 in the entry-level Mac Studio. This Mac Pro also costs a massive US$11,999 compared to the comparatively tiny US$1999 for the entry-level Mac Studio, as well. Compared to the entry-level Mac Pro -- which only has 8 processor cores and costs US$5999 -- the entry-level Mac Studio is an impressive 70% faster in single core tasks and 55% faster in multicore tasks.

The Mac Studio pops out impressive results for the price, but it is an important reminder that independent tests may not provide results as pretty as those in a press release. The Mac Pro models are much more expandable, too.

Performance Summary

Ultimately, the Mac Studio "M1" models provide stunning performance for the price and the results bode well for future Apple Silicon-powered Mac Pro models in particular. However, depending on your needs and budget, the cheaper M1 Mac mini or more expandable Intel Mac Pro may be a better choice for you.

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