How fast are the Mac Studio "M2" (2023) models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to their predecessors? How fast are they compared to the Mac mini and Mac Pro?

In the company press release for the "M2" Mac Studio models released in 2023 -- the Mac Studio "M2 Max" 12 CPU/30 GPU and "M2 Ultra" 24 CPU/60 GPU -- Apple declares the system to be a "performance powerhouse" and throws around boasts related to performance like "unprecedented" and "groundbreaking."

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Mac Studio)

Apple also released a second press release for the higher-end M2 Ultra processor that promises to "take Mac performance further than ever."

Although most new Mac releases have been at least somewhat more powerful than those that came beforehand, Apple backs up its general hyperbole for the M2 Ultra with some actual performance claims scattered throughout its press releases:

• M2 Ultra features a more powerful CPU that's 20 percent faster than M1 Ultra, a larger GPU that's up to 30 percent faster, and a Neural Engine that's up to 40 percent faster.
• With Mac Studio powered by M2 Ultra, colorists using DaVinci Resolve will experience up to 50 percent faster video processing compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra.
• Rendering 3D effects using Octane on Mac Studio with M2 Ultra is up to 3x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Ultra.
• M2 Ultra features a 32-core Neural Engine, delivering 31.6 trillion operations per second, which is 40 percent faster performance than M1 Ultra.

With specific details, it certainly appears that the Mac Studio M2 models are fast, but it also is worth noting that this focus exclusively is on the higher-end M2 Ultra and does not include the entry-level M2 Max.

The reasonable assumption is that the performance of the entry-level model is not as dramatically faster compared to its predecessor. How much faster still requires proper testing, though. Independent, unbiased testing is worthwhile for the higher-end model, too.

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.

2023 Mac Studio M2 Max vs. 2023 Mac Studio M2 Ultra

Compared to one another, the entry-level Mac Studio "M2 Max" 12 CPU/30 GPU and high-end standard Mac Studio "M2 Ultra" 24 CPU/60 GPU are the same speed in single core tasks, but with two times 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.

2022 Mac Studio M1 vs. 2023 Mac Studio M2

Compared to the 2022 Mac Studio models, the 2023 Mac Studio models both are around 15% faster in single core tasks and 21% faster in double core tasks than the model each replaced, respectively:

2022 Mac Studio	2023 Mac Studio	Single Core	Multicore
"M1 Max" 10/24	"M2 Max" 12/30	+15%	+21%
"M1 Ultra" 20/48	"M2 Ultra" 24/60	+15%	+21%

It is worth noting that these results are in the same ballpark as Apple's formal press release claims, as well.

2023 Mac mini M2 Pro vs. 2023 Mac Studio M2 Max/Ultra

You might be surprised that the cheaper Mac mini M2 Pro models can hold their own with the significantly more expensive Mac Studio models in single core tasks:

Mac mini M2 Pro	2023 Mac Studio	Single Core	Multicore
"M2 Pro" 10/16	"M2 Max" 12/30	+6%	+27%
"M2 Pro" 12/19	"M2 Ultra" 24/60	+5%	+96%

The Mac mini M2 Pro models are just US$1299 and US$1599, respectively, whereas the Mac Studio M2 Max and Mac Studio M2 Ultra start at US$1999 and US$3999, respectively. Clearly the high-end Mac Studio, in particular, destroys the high-end Mac mini in multicore tasks, but it costs 150% more, as well.

2023 Mac Studio vs. 2019 & 2023 Mac Pro

The 2023 Mac Studio and 2023 Mac Pro models provide essentially the same performance; the 2023 Mac Pro is differentiated by its expansion options (support for internal storage upgrades, PCIe slots, and more ports).

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

Intel Mac Pro	2023 Mac Studio	Single Core	Multicore
"24-Core" 2.7 (2019)	"M2 Max" 12/30	+78%	-14%
"28-Core" 2.5 (2019)	"M2 Ultra" 24/60	+77%	+47%

Of course, the 24-Core Mac Pro has 24 processor cores compared to just 12 in the entry-level Mac Studio. When the Mac Pro models were new, they were massively more expensive, but these results show that these Intel Mac Pro models -- which also include upgradable RAM, storage, and full PCIe support -- will remain quite useful for some time to come.

Performance Summary

Ultimately, the 2023 Mac Studio M2 Max/M2 Ultra models provide excellent performance for the price, but the cheaper Mac mini models can hold their own in many tasks and are a better choice for some users, accordingly. The more expandable Intel Mac Pro models remain well worth consideration, too, especially given lower prices on the used market.

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