Comparing the M4 Max and M3 Ultra to high-end PC desktop processors.
As for the Intel and AMD comparisons, both companies’ best high-end desktop CPUs like the Ryzen 9 9950X and Core Ultra 285K are often competitive with the M4 Max’s multi-core performance, but are dramatically less power-efficient at their default settings.
Mac Studio or M4 Pro Mac mini?
The Mac Studio (bottom) and redesigned M4 Mac mini.
Credit:
Andrew Cunningham
Ever since Apple beefed up the Mac mini with Pro-tier chips, there’s been a pricing overlap around and just over $2,000 where the mini and the Studio are both compelling.
A $2,000 Mac mini comes with a fully enabled M4 Pro processor (14 CPU cores, 20 GPU cores), 512GB of storage, and 48GB of RAM, with 64GB of RAM available for another $200 and 10 gigabit Ethernet available for another $100. RAM is the high-end Mac mini’s main advantage over the Studio—the $1,999 Studio comes with a slightly cut-down M4 Max (also 14 CPU cores, but 32 GPU cores), 512GB of storage, and just 36GB of RAM.
In general, if you’re spending $2,000 on a Mac desktop, I would lean toward the Studio rather than the mini. You’re getting roughly the same CPU but a much faster GPU and more ports. You get less RAM, but depending on what you’re doing, there’s a good chance that 36GB is more than enough.
The only place where the mini is clearly better than the Studio once you’re above $2,000 is memory. If you want 64GB of RAM in your Mac, you can get it in the Mac mini for $2,200. The cheapest Mac Studio with 64GB of RAM also requires a processor upgrade, bringing the total cost to $2,700. If you need memory more than you need raw performance, or if you just need something that’s as small as it can possibly be, that’s when the high-end mini can still make sense.
A lot of power—if you need it
Apple’s M4 Max Mac Studio.
Credit:
Andrew Cunningham
Obviously, Apple’s hermetically sealed desktop computers have some downsides compared to a gaming or workstation PC, most notably that you need to throw out and replace the whole thing any time you want to upgrade literally any component.