During Apple’s first event of 2022, the company had quite a bit more to show off than we originally anticipated. Along with the expected introduction of the iPhone SE 2022 and iPad Air 2022, Apple also debuted a couple of new products. These include the all-new Mac Studio and the Apple Studio Display, which are likely to replace the 27-inch iMac in Apple’s desktop computer lineup.
But what really turned a lot of heads during the announcement was the introduction of the latest M1 chip in the M1 Ultra. This is Apple’s most powerful processor to date and aims to be a boon for creators.
What Is M1 Ultra?
Simply put, the Apple M1 Ultra is the company’s latest processor to be unveiled. It’s based on the same architecture as the original M1 chip, which is found in devices like the Mac Mini, 24-inch iMac, and even the iPad Pro.
The M1 is based on ARM technology, which essentially means that it is based on the same processor found in your iPhone. However, in order to make this work for computers, Apple also introduced Rosetta 2, which is a piece of software that ensures that those non-ARM apps will still run.
As for the M1 Ultra, here’s what the spec sheet looks like:
20-core CPU with 16 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
Up to 48-core GPU
32-core Neural Engine
800GB/s memory bandwidth
Support for up to 128GB unified memory (RAM)
During the announcement, Apple engineers explained how the M1 Ultra was created. Apple developed a “die-to-die interconnect” adapter that connects two M1 Max chipsets together. On paper, it may seem like this just doubles the performance of the already-incredible M1 Max, but this also allows Apple to fine-tune the chipset to become even more powerful.
What Macs Include M1 Ultra?
If you’re interested in picking up a new Mac featuring the new M1 Ultra processor, the options are pretty limited. And by pretty limited, we mean there’s only one choice.
At the time of this writing, only the new Mac Studio is being sold with the M1 Ultra at the heart. This comes as a bit of a surprise given that there are usually multiple products available, but there could be a very good reason.
The Mac Studio features a similar, yet different, design to the Mac Mini. It’s meant to live on your desk, just like the old Mac Mini, but it’s been machined in such a way to allow for the proper amount of airflow to keep the processor and the entire computer from over-heating.
Shortly after Apple’s March 8 event concluded, all of the official specs for the Mac Studio were published. It was discovered that the M1 Ultra Mac Studio is a whopping two pounds heavier than the Mac Studio powered by the M1 Max. This was likely done so that Apple could implement a larger heat sink into the chassis, while still offering the same form-factor across both the M1 Ultra and M1 Max models.
Pricing for the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra starts at $3,999 with 64GB of unified memory (RAM) and 1TB of SSD storage. However, the max configuration complete with 128GB of unified memory and 8TB of storage comes in an eye-watering $7,999.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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