Apple Mac Studio M2 (2023)

Superior build quality Small chassis Solid connectivity Excellent creativity performance Quiet operation Elegant aesthetic

Expensive Mediocre gaming

“The Mac Studio is a diminutive floating monolith that packs a punch.”

Easy setup. Excellent performance. Plenty of ports. Rather compact. Up to 8 terabytes of storage (with other upgrade options).

Expensive, especially without peripherals. Built-in speakers could be better.

Noticeable performance improvements across the board versus M1 Ultra version ; Competitively priced among workstations ; Updated to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3

Accessories still sold separately ; Internals are not user-upgradable after purchase

Apple's 2023 Mac Studio, tested with the M2 Ultra, handily outdoes its predecessor while challenging the workstation competition on both power and price.

Neat and compact design ; Plenty of ports ; Huge amount of power

Expensive ; Not upgradeable post purchase ; Keyboard and mouse not included

The Apple Mac Studio might not have changed much in design compared to last year's model, but that's not what it's about. The design is already great, delivering mighty power in a neat and compact package.

Small, compact and quiet ; Powerful new chip, even by default ; Loads of ports ; Speedy SSD

Not upgradable post-purchase ; Eye-watering SSD BTO costs ; M2 Max gets two fewer Thunderbolt ports than Ultra ; Rubbish speaker

A wonderfully compact and powerful Mac for power users. And although it’s spendy, the Mac Studio nonetheless represents solid value.

Fast and quiet ; Relatively compact ; HDMI 2.1

M2 Max model has two less Thunderbolt connections than the M2 Ultra

Incredible performance ; Compact form factor ; Stylish design ; Runs quiet even under extreme loads ; Excellent connectivity

Cannot be upgraded ; Expensive

The TL;DR version: The Mac Studio is an excellent machine for professionals or anyone who simply wants the best Mac desktop computing experience. Just be prepared to pay.

+ Class-leading power efficiency ; + Respectable performance ; + Small form factor ; + Dead silent ; + Expansive I/O

- Zero upgrade path ; - Additional RAM & SSD options are very expensive ; - Subpar onboard speakers ; - No USB-PD support

Think of it as the Macbook Pro without the display and keyboard attached - the M2 Max-powered Mac Studio packs plenty of power with none of the fan noise thanks to its more thermodynamically forgiving form factor.

Exceptionally quick ; Quiet even when under pressure ; Compact design ; Plenty of ports

In a price range for pros and companies only

The Mac Studio is one of the most powerful machines you can buy right now. Sitting between the iMac and the Mac Pro, this machine offers high performance in a small package. Although, as you may expect, with great power comes a great price tag. I...