M4 Max and M3 Ultra are both incredibly powerful chips that take performance to a whole new level. Choosing the right one for you depends on the type of work you’ll be doing.
M4 Max
M4 Max features a 14- or 16-core CPU and a 32- or 40-core GPU, coupled with up to 546GB/s of memory bandwidth and 36GB to 128GB of unified memory. It includes a 16-core Neural Engine and a powerful Media Engine with H.264 and HEVC support and ProRes encode and decode and AV1 decode.
M4 Max can easily run multiple pro applications at the same time. It is equally capable of handling CPU‑intensive tasks like photo editing and compiling code and GPU‑driven tasks like 8K video post‑production or working with complex 3D content. The Neural Engine can speed through machine learning work, while the dedicated Media Engine lets you play back up to 18 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video.¹
Mac Studio with M4 Max supports up to five external displays.
M3 Ultra
The most powerful chip ever in a Mac, M3 Ultra features a 28‑ or 32-core CPU and a 60- or 80-core GPU, a 32‑core Neural Engine, and 819GB/s of memory bandwidth. It also includes a dedicated Media Engine that lets you play back up to 24 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video.²
M3 Ultra brings mind-bending processing power and bandwidth for even the most demanding workflows, like building elaborate 3D models, color grading a feature film, or animating 3D scenes and rendering at the same time.
M3 Ultra also lets you configure your Mac Studio with 96GB to 512GB of unified memory. This is an enormous amount of RAM so you can run massive datasets for large language models locally. It also dramatically improve performance when you’re working with very large files such as augmented reality models, music scores with huge virtual instrument libraries, or complex 8K video timelines.
Mac Studio with M3 Ultra supports up to eight external displays.