Mac mini vs Mac Studio: Was the M2 Professional improve well worth the wait?

Greatest Costs Right this moment: Apple Mac mini (M2 Professional, 2023)

$1,299.00

Not Obtainable

When Apple launched the Mac Studio in March 202,2 we had been impressed by its processing energy and glorious worth in comparison with the Mac Professional. The Mac Studio is an excellent deal for content material creators of any stage, and, frankly, it’s an acceptable substitute for Apple’s highest-end Mac in some conditions. However not everybody wants all the facility of a Mac Studio with M1 Max, not to mention the $3,999 M1 Extremely.

So, regardless of the arrival of the Mac Studio, there was a niche in Apple’s lineup. Whereas the MacBook Professional has supplied an M1 Professional and now an M2 Professional chip, there was no desktop Mac with such a chip till now. In January 2023, Apple launched a brand new M2 Professional Mac mini. It’s the Mac we now have been ready for ever since Apple launched the M1 Mac mini in November 2020 however left the higher-end Intel mannequin round.

Now that we now have the M2 Professional Mac mini, is the Mac Studio a much less engaging proposition? Do you have to keep away from the M1 Max Mac Studio and await Apple to introduce a model with the M2 Max chip? Learn on to get all of the solutions.

Mac Studio M1 Max vs Mac mini M2 Professional: Worth

We love the value of the M1 Max Mac Studio. At $1,999/£1,999, it prices $1,500/£1,300 lower than the M1 Max variant of the 16-inch MacBook Professional. At that worth, there’s greater than sufficient left over to purchase a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

The Mac mini M2 Professional additionally represents a discount when in comparison with a equally specced MacBook Professional. The M2 Professional Mac mini with a 10-core CPU and 16-Core GPU prices $1,299/£1,399 in comparison with the $1,999/£2,149 14-inch MacBook Professional with the identical chip. We perceive that these are very totally different machines, but it surely illustrates simply how a lot it can save you by shopping for considered one of Apple’s desktop Macs. The Mac mini and Mac Studio are essentially the most cost-effective method to get Apple’s strongest processors.

Evaluating desktops, let’s take a better take a look at what you get in your cash:

• Mac Studio: M1 Max (10-core CPU, 24-core GPU), 32GB unified reminiscence, 512GB SSD, $1,999/£1,999
• Mac mini: M2 Professional (10-core CPU, 16-core GPU), 16GB unified reminiscence, 512GB SSD, $1,299/£1,399

Closing the hole between the 2 machines additional: You’ll be able to max out the Mac mini with an M2 Professional that has a 12-core CPU and 19-Core GPU with 32GB of reminiscence for a similar $1,999/£1,999 because the Mac Studio.

One other factor to think about is whether or not it’s price holding off on the acquisition till Apple introduces the M2 Max variant of the Mac Studio, which is prone to occur in some unspecified time in the future in 2023. Since we’re discussing worth right here, we’ll notice that it’s possible that the Mac Studio will see a worth hike when the brand new mannequin is launched, at the least exterior the U.S., so maintain that in thoughts if you happen to do resolve to attend.

If you’re going to purchase both Mac check out our spherical up of the greatest Mac mini offers and the greatest Mac Studio offers.

Mac Studio M1 Max vs Mac mini M2 Professional: Design

The Mac Studio takes its design inspiration from the Mac mini. Each Macs are silver (there isn’t any Area Grey model) and have a giant Apple emblem on high. The Mac Studio measures 7.7 inches sq., the identical because the Mac mini, but it surely’s 3.7 inches tall, almost thrice the peak of the Mac mini.

That additional area contained in the Mac Studio means it advantages from a extra environment friendly cooling system. The Mac Studio additionally provides a helpful assortment of ports on the entrance, together with two USB-C ports and an SDXC card slot.

Apple

Mac Studio M1 Max vs Mac mini M2 Professional: Specs

Despite the fact that the M2 Professional is a more recent chip than the M1 Max, the M1 Max, at the least by way of GPU cores, is the superior chip. But it surely’s not an apples-to-apples comparability. Right here’s how the specs evaluate:

Mac mini M2 Professional

• Base mannequin: 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB unified reminiscence, 512GB SSD, $1,299/£1,399
• Extra choices: 12-Core CPU, 19-Core GPU ($300/£300), 32GB reminiscence ($400/£400), 1TB/2TB/4TB8TB SSD (as much as $2,400)

Mac Studio M1 Max

• Base mannequin: 10-core CPU, 24-Core GPU, 32GB unified reminiscence, 512GB SSD, $1,999/£1,999
• Extra choices: 32-Core GPU ($200/£200), 64GB reminiscence ($400/£400), 1TB/2TB/4TB8TB SSD (as much as $2,400)

CPU

When it comes to CPU, it doesn’t appear to be a big distinction—there’s a 10-core CPU as normal in each units. However there are enhancements within the newer chip, together with a distinction within the variety of effectivity cores—up from two to 4 within the newer chip.

Apple claims that the M2 Professional and M2 Max provide 20 % higher CPU efficiency than the M1 Professional and M1 Max. This performed out in our testing. As you may see from our Geekbench benchmarks, the Mac Studio with M1 Max (10-core) lagged behind within the multicore outcomes. The Mac mini we in contrast it to was a build-to-order mannequin with 12 cores, so an enchancment is to be anticipated, however even in single-core benchmarks, the M2 Professional scored greater.

We noticed an identical situation within the Cinebench R23 benchmarks, with the 12-core Mac mini M2 Professional beating the M1 Max within the Mac Studio. For the reason that M1 Professional and M1 Max noticed very related benchmarks, we are able to actually count on an enchancment even with the usual 10-core CPU possibility.

GPU

With regards to GPU cores issues are a bit totally different. The usual Mac mini M2 Professional provides 16 graphics cores (as much as 19), however the usual Mac Studio with M1 Max has a 24-core GPU (as much as 32, and there will likely be as much as 38 graphics cores within the M2 Max). Whereas the GPU cores of the M2 Professional are forward of these within the M1 Professional, the M1 Max nonetheless provides higher graphics efficiency.

To get an concept of how this performs out in testing, in Geekbench 5 Compute benchmarks the 16-inch MacBook Professional with an M2 Professional (12-core CPU, 19-core GPU) scored towards the 14-inch MacBook Professional with an M1 Max (10-core CPU, 32-core GPU).

Our iMovie benchmarks present the impact of the M1 Max’s two video encoding engines. The M2 Professional can’t fairly sustain.

Nonetheless, the sooner CPU and Neural Engine within the M2 Professional make it sooner than the M1 Max when making use of the video stabilizing function.

RAM

There are different methods through which the Max beats the Professional, whichever era. The M1 Max has extra reminiscence bandwidth (400 GB/sec vs 200 GB/sec) and may provide extra RAM than the M2 Professional can (64GB vs 32GB). Notice that there’s a 96GB RAM possibility for the M2 Max which can be coming to the Mac Studio, however there’s a catch—the 96GB RAM possibility is restricted to the model of the M2 Max with 38 GPU cores, whereas the cheaper possibility with 30 GPU cores nonetheless tops out at 64GB.

Ports

Apple

The Mac Studio has essentially the most ports, with two USB-C ports and one SDXC card slot on the entrance and 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, a 10Gb Ethernet jack, and one 3.5mm headphone jack on the again. The M2 Professional Mac mini has 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, Gigabit Ethernet (10Gb ethernet prices an additional $100), and a headphone jack. In fact, there are many USB-C hubs obtainable if you need much more choices.

You’ll discover that the Mac mini provides the newer HDMI 2.1 normal. HDMI 2.1 brings assist for 4K at 240Hz and 8K at 60Hz. With HDMI 2.0, you could possibly solely join one show with as much as 4K decision at 60Hz. You’ll be able to after all add further shows through the Thunderbolt ports on each the Mac Studio and Mac mini. The Mac mini with M2 Professional helps as much as three shows, whereas the Mac Studio helps as much as 4 Professional Show XDRs and one 4K show.

The 2023 Mac mini additionally provides the brand new WiFi 6E normal and Bluetooth 5.3 whereas the Mac Studio has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

Apple

Mac Studio M1 Max vs Mac mini M2 Professional: Shopping for Recommendation

Now that the M2 Professional Mac mini is right here, the Mac Studio with M1 Max actually seems much less spectacular than it did. Now you can save $700/£700 by shopping for a Mac mini with M2 Professional, fairly than the Mac Studio, and nonetheless get a machine that’s loads highly effective sufficient in your wants.

However if you need the higher M2 Professional chip and RAM, it makes extra sense to take a look at the Mac Studio, even with an older M1 chip. It has extra ports, a extra highly effective chip, and the comfort of front-facing ports. For a similar $1,999, the selection between an M2 Professional Mac mini and a M1 Max Mac Studio shouldn’t be a troublesome one.

Nonetheless, we assume that there will likely be an M2 Max and M2 Extremely improve for the Mac Studio in some unspecified time in the future in 2023, so it might be price ready. And there are additionally robust rumors of a brand new Apple silicon Mac Professional arriving inside the coming months. However if you happen to want a desktop Mac proper now, the $1,299 Mac mini is an effective guess till you begin including choices.

$1999.00

$1999.99

For extra assist deciding which Mac to purchase learn our Greatest Mac shopping for information.