Tag: M4 Max

  • Mac Studio Launches with New Apple M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips

    Mac Studio Launches with New Apple M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips

    Key Takeaways

    1. Apple has launched the new Mac Studio, featuring M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, marking it as their most powerful small desktop yet.
    2. The M3 Ultra chip has a 28-core CPU and 60-core GPU, offering up to 892 GB/s memory bandwidth, while the M4 Max mirrors specs from the MacBook Pro.
    3. The M3 Ultra is 2.6 times faster than the previous M1 Ultra model and has a 32-core Neural Engine that processes tokens up to 16.9 times quicker.
    4. Connectivity options include four Thunderbolt 5.0 ports, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, and a 10 Gb/s Ethernet port.
    5. Pricing starts at $1,999 for the M4 Max and $3,999 for the M3 Ultra, with pre-orders available now and general sales beginning on March 12.

    Apple has recently launched its latest small desktop, which many are calling its most powerful yet. Following Mark Gurman’s prediction, the new Mac Studio is finally available, featuring a combination of two generations of technology. Customers can choose between the M4 Max and the M3 Ultra, a chip that many thought was no longer in production.

    Performance Details

    The M3 Ultra is similar to its earlier model, consisting of two M3 Max chips placed together. It boasts a 28-core CPU, which includes 20 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores, along with a 60-core GPU. Users have the option to upgrade to a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU. Both options offer an impressive memory bandwidth that reaches up to 892 GB/s. In contrast, the specifications for the M4 Max are the same as those seen in the MacBook Pro, featuring up to a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU.

    Speed and Connectivity

    Apple asserts that the M3 Ultra is 2.6 times quicker than the Mac Studio equipped with the M1 Ultra. When compared to the same chip, its 32-core Neural Engine can generate tokens in LM Studio up to 16.9 times faster. The new Mac Studio is loaded with connectivity options, featuring four Thunderbolt 5.0 ports located at the rear, along with two USB 3.2 Type-C ports situated at the front (Thunderbolt 5.0 is exclusive to the M3 Ultra variant).

    Additional Features and Pricing

    Other connectivity features include two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a 10 Gb/s Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The base model of the M4 Max Mac Studio comes with 512 GB of storage and 36 GB of unified memory, while the M3 Ultra variant offers a 1 TB SSD and 96 GB of unified memory. The M4 Max can be expanded to 128 GB of RAM and 8 TB of storage, whereas the M3 Ultra can reach 512 GB of RAM and 16 TB of storage.

    The M4 Max supports video output for up to five displays, while the M3 Ultra can manage up to eight displays. Unfortunately, neither model supports Wi-Fi 7, so users will have to make do with Wi-Fi 6e and Bluetooth 5.3. The starting price for the M4 Max Mac Studio is $1,999, while the M3 Ultra version begins at $3,999. Pre-orders are now available on Apple’s website, with general sales set to start on March 12.

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    Mac Studio Launches with New Apple M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips

     

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  • Apple M4 Max MacBook Pro Performs Great in Cyberpunk 2077 & More

    Apple M4 Max MacBook Pro Performs Great in Cyberpunk 2077 & More

    Apple’s latest M4 Max chip proves to be an impressive upgrade from the M3 Max. The entire M4 series showcases significant performance enhancements, especially within the built-in GPUs, which have seen the most substantial generational boost so far.

    Gaming Limitations on Mac

    Despite these advancements, gaming continues to be a weak spot for Macs. While Apple is actively trying to improve this situation, in 2024, many popular AAA games are still missing from the platform. Nevertheless, tools like CodeWeavers’ Crossover and Apple’s GPT have made some titles accessible on the Mac, although the performance is notably limited. Andrew Tsai’s recent video explores the gaming capabilities of the M4 Max, highlighting both native and non-native games.

    Impressive Performance in Native Games

    One standout title for the Mac, Resident Evil 4 Remake, reveals the M4 Max’s potential in a native setting. This game operates smoothly at 48–60 frames per second on the 4K high graphics preset, maintaining a steady frame rate even in challenging situations. When MetalFX upscaling is activated in Quality mode, players can achieve frame rates between 60 and 70 FPS for those seeking enhanced performance over visual quality. This seamless gameplay illustrates the M4 Max’s proficiency with demanding Mac-native titles.

    Racing Games and Their Performance

    GRID Legends is among the few native racing games that truly leverage the M4 Max’s capabilities. It impressively hits 100 FPS at 4K resolution with all settings maxed out. The M4 Max boasts a 52% performance increase compared to the M3 Max, averaging 96 FPS instead of the M3 Max’s 63 FPS. This clear progress underscores the advancements Apple has achieved, particularly regarding GPU performance.

    Cyberpunk 2077’s Compatibility

    While Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t natively available for macOS yet, it surprisingly performs well on the M4 Max through the Crossover compatibility tool. With DirectX 12 converted to Metal, the M4 Max achieves frame rates that are 55% higher than its predecessor, making the game playable even with ray tracing enabled. Although frame timing and consistency could be polished, the chip’s capability to run such a demanding Windows title is quite impressive. Cyberpunk is expected to debut on Apple Silicon early next year, raising our hopes.

    Black Myth: Wukong Tested

    Another challenging title for the M4 Max is Black Myth: Wukong, which is perhaps one of the most graphically intense games in testing. With FSR 3 upscaling set at 65%, the game operates at 45–55 frames per second at 1440p medium settings while using Crossover. Performance dips during intense combat, but fine-tuning the upscaling settings might enhance the experience. The smooth running of this DirectX 12 game on Mac demonstrates the tremendous processing power of Apple Silicon and the effectiveness of the translation layers. However, the performance doesn’t match what a native port would offer, which isn’t surprising.

    Source: Link

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  • Apple M4 Max SoC Confirmed in Leaked Official Media Assets

    Apple M4 Max SoC Confirmed in Leaked Official Media Assets

    Apple has rolled out its new Macs in a staggered manner, introducing a new model each day. Over the past couple of days, we’ve seen the launch of the M4-equipped iMac and the newly revamped Mac Mini, which comes with both the M4 and M4 Pro SoCs.

    Anticipation for the MacBook Pro

    Now, all eyes are on the MacBook Pro, which is expected to be revealed tomorrow, assuming everything goes smoothly. Mark Gurman has been largely spot-on with his predictions regarding Apple’s Macs, so it’s reasonable to anticipate the arrival of the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 models, equipped with the M4 Pro and M4 Max.

    Details on the M4 Pro and M4 Max

    Apple has already confirmed the M4 Pro chip. Additionally, we might have just received a hint about the M4 Max SoC, thanks to a media asset found by developer Charlie Joseph. This news isn’t shocking, as it’s quite likely that the MacBook Pro will feature both the Pro and Max versions of the M4, keeping in line with the company’s established patterns.

    Sadly, there isn’t any information available about the core counts for the M4 Max yet. The M4 Pro caught me off guard by packing 14 cores, including an impressive 10 performance cores, which is a jump from the six maximum performance cores seen in the previous M3. The M4 Max probably will have even more performance cores, possibly around 12 or 14, along with two or four efficiency cores, leading to a total of 16 or 18 CPU cores, based on past trends.

    GPU Core Specifications

    When it comes to GPU cores, things are a bit clearer. The standard M4 chip has up to 10 GPU cores, while the M4 Pro doubles that to 20. Therefore, it’s likely that the M4 Max will feature up to 40 GPU cores, matching its predecessor. With the M4 Pro and M4 Max-equipped MacBook Pro lineup set to launch as early as tomorrow, we won’t have to wait long to find out more.

    Charlie Joseph via Twitter.

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