Key Takeaways
1. The Apple Mac Studio now features the M3 Ultra chip, boasting a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU for top-tier performance.
2. The M3 Ultra outperforms high-end x86 processors like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K in Cinebench 2024 benchmarks.
3. Apple’s M3 Ultra excels in CPU-intensive tasks and supports up to 512 GB of unified memory for demanding workloads.
4. Future benchmarks will clarify the M3 Ultra’s potential, but it currently leads in efficiency and multi-core performance for consumer systems.
5. Upcoming AMD Zen 6 CPUs may challenge the M3 Ultra, but currently, the M3 Ultra stands out in the market.
The Apple Mac Studio has been updated and is an impressive machine, to put it lightly. At its peak configuration, it can come with the M3 Ultra chip, a powerful SoC. This chip features a 32-core CPU and a gigantic 80-core GPU, delivering performance that stands out as the best a Mac can provide and ranks among the top for systems under 500 watts. There’s hardly any x86 product that can compete with the M3 Ultra, as it occupies a unique space where it easily outshines high-end consumer processors, but unsurprisingly doesn’t reach the core counts of server-grade chips.
Comparisons with x86 Systems
For example, a high-end x86 system priced similarly to the Mac Studio would probably have either a 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (currently listed at $544.74 on Amazon) or a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor. Cinebench 2024 shows that the 32-core M3 Ultra dominates both of these x86 systems. With a score of 3,000, the M3 Ultra outperforms the Ryzen 9 9950X by 25% and the Core Ultra 9 285K by about 30%. This is expected, given the significantly higher core count of the M3 Ultra.
Performance Insights
Nevertheless, it’s clear that the Apple M3 Ultra will excel in most CPU-intensive tasks compared to any x86 consumer desktop available today. As previously mentioned, the M3 Ultra’s GPU performs somewhere in between the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5080, but actual performance can vary based on the specific tasks. Additionally, the ability to configure the M3 Ultra with up to 512 GB of unified memory lets it handle workloads that weren’t feasible on a consumer desktop before now.
Future Testing and Developments
As more benchmarks and tests come to light, the true potential of the M3 Ultra will likely become more defined. While it’s evident that it will lead in overall efficiency, actual performance will depend on how well software developers adapt their applications to leverage this impressive hardware. There are whispers that AMD’s upcoming Zen 6 CPUs will feature up to 24 performance cores, which could pose a real challenge to the M3 Ultra. But for the time being, it’s apparent that Apple’s top-tier model reigns supreme in multi-core performance for consumer systems.
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