Apple Mac Studio Update at WWDC: M2 Ultra Option Debuts – CNET

Apple Mac Studio Update at WWDC: M2 Ultra Option Debuts - CNET

X

Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. How we test computers

Apple Mac Studio Update at WWDC: M2 Ultra Option Debuts

The company’s compact desktop for creatives gets its first upgrade since it launched. and now you can configure it with a high-end M2 Ultra.

LoriGruninNewHeadshot.jpg
LoriGruninNewHeadshot.jpg
Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice
I’ve been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I’m currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I’ve also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Expertise Photography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories
Lori Grunin
screenshot-2023-06-05-at-10-13-57-am.png

Apple

For the first update since the Mac Studio launched in March 2022, Apple introduced a high-end M2 Ultra chip at its WWDC developer conference. The update also includes the launch of the M2 Ultra in addition to a new, base M2 Max configuration. It ships next week, starting at $1,999.

<div data-id="" data-cy="shortcodeListicle" data-location="LIST" data-position="1" edition="us" imagegroup="{"alt":"mac-studio-23.png","caption":"

","credits":"Apple/Screenshot by CNET","imageData":{"id":"2210109e-f4aa-4257-8648-09ee79575424","title":"mac-studio-23","filename":"mac-studio-23.png","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/hub/2023/06/05/2210109e-f4aa-4257-8648-09ee79575424/mac-studio-23.png","caption":"

","size":442875,"width":2534,"height":1356,"dateCreated":{"date":"2023-06-05 18:03:09","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"dateUpdated":{"date":"2023-06-05 18:03:15","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"needsModeration":false,"mimeType":"image/png","deleted":false,"credits":"Apple/Screenshot by CNET","alt":"mac-studio-23.png","restricted":false,"startDate":null,"endDate":null,"preferred":false,"watermark":false,"doNotCrop":false,"doNotResize":false,"primaryCollection":null,"vanityUrl":null,"notes":null,"crop":null,"cropGravity":0,"preservedRegion":null,"isNew":false,"keywords":[],"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false,"typeName":"content_image"},"uuid":"2210109e-f4aa-4257-8648-09ee79575424","imageAltText":"mac-studio-23.png","imageCaption":"

","imageCredit":"Apple/Screenshot by CNET","imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageFilename":"mac-studio-23.png","imageDateCreated":"2023/06/05","imageWidth":2534,"imageHeight":1356,"imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” overridecaption=”

” overridecredit=”Apple/Screenshot by CNET” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__de4822b7-e181-48e6-9533-f2c56db141f7″ position=”NaN” contenttype=”Product Advice” pagelayout=”Default – Article Page w/ original publish date” showdetails=”true” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>

mac-studio-23.png

Apple/Screenshot by CNET

The base $1,999 model of the Mac Studio includes an M2 Max chip.

You can read about the announcement play-by-play in our live blog of the event.

The M2 Ultra is a pair of M2 Maxes tied together, with a 24-core CPU, 76-core GPU, and enables support for 192GB unified memory. 

The system also gets HDMI 2.1 (like the MacBook Pro 16), which means higher refresh rates — up to 240Hz — and the generational chip upgrade means support for more, higher-resolution monitors simultaneously, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

The refresh otherwise leaves the system unchanged. I’m curious how much heat the M2 Ultra generates and whether any cooling changes were required for it; the Studio has been a really quiet system, and if it required more heat dissipation, it could make a difference in noise level.

Add a Comment