Important Info if Interested in a Brand New Mac Studio

[pigoo3]

Currently Apple sells the base model Mac Studio in the United States for $1999.

As some of you may know...back in late January, 2023...I purchased a brand new Mac Studio from Costco for a super great price of $1699 ($300 off the Apple Store price). Since rumors were floating around at the time that "maybe" a new Mac Studio model was coming out...when the Mac Studio arrived I didn't open it.

The actual dates were:

* New M2 Mac Mini's & M2 Pro Mac Mini's were announced on January 24th, 2023.
* Costco sent out an email to members on January 25th, 2023 (next day after the M2 Mac-Mini announcement)...mentioning the Mac Studio was on sale for $1699.

I ended up returning the Mac Studio...since the cost/performance of the base Mac Studio & the M2 Pro Mac-Mini were very very close...plus rumors of a potential new Mac Studio model.

This brings us to today (May 6th, 2023). Wife & I received another email from Costco with the latest sale items...and lo & behold...Costco is selling:

* Brand new base model M1 Mac Studio for $1499 ($500 off the current Apple Store price of $1999).
* High-end Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip for $3199 ($800 off the Apple Store price of $3999).

Two takeaways from this message:

1. Some great prices on a brand new Mac Studio from Costco ($500 & $800 off Apple Store prices). Even if you're not a Costco member...very worth it to purchase a 1 year Costco membership for $55. Mac Studio prices good thru 5/14/23.

* Costco has a 90 day return policy on electronics/computers.
* Costco also automatically doubles the manufacturers warranty. Thus 1 year Apple warranty becomes 2 years.

2. Based on my previous experience from purchasing an M1 Mac Studio from Costco back in late January. The deep Costco discount on a M1 Mac Studio seems to coincide with a big Apple announcement coming soon.

Back in January, 2023...it was the M2 Mac Mini/M2 Pro Mac Mini announcement. This time around...could be a new Mac Studio model announcement...or maybe/finally an announcement of an Apple silicon Mac Pro. Maybe (days/weeks)...or maybe at WWDC early June, 2023.

Food for thought on a possible big Apple announcement soon regarding a new Mac Studio or Mac Pro models. And a DEFINITE great deal on a brand new Mac Studio for anyone interested!

Nick

 

[Groovetube]

I had heard that apple would release a Mac Pro first and the studio wouldn’t updated until an M3.

but rumors right? Who knows.

 

[pigoo3]

I had heard that apple would release a Mac Pro first and the studio wouldn’t updated until an M3.

but rumors right? Who knows.

Pretty much what I've been reading as well.

My logic is...back in January when I purchased a new Mac Studio from Costco (well below Apple Store price)...at about exactly the same time (1 day apart)...Apple released the M2 Mac-Mini & M2 Pro Mac-Mini.
M2 Pro Mac-Mini and base model M1 Mac Studio are kind of competing with each other...since both have very similar performance...so maybe Apple was trying to clear out some Mac Studios at same time M2 Mac-Mini's were announced.

Flash-forward 3+ months...and Costco is again selling deeply discounted Mac Studio for $1499 ($500 below Apple Store price). To me this means another announcement is coming (either Apple Silicon Mac Pro, or maybe an announcement/teaser...that a new model Mac Studio is coming in the future).

Experts have also found in the code for a newer macOS version to be released...they found 3 new Mac model designators. In the code there's a setting for "Find My Device"...this is usually either set to On or Off.

This setting is usually set to "On" for mobile devices (phones, tablets, notebooks)...and "Off" for desktop devices. With these 3 new Mac model designators...this "Find My Device" setting was set to "Off"...indicating possible new desktop computers.

This probably wouldn't be Mac-Mini's (just got new model Mac-Mini's in January, 2023)...and probably not an iMac. This only leaves possible new desktop models of either a Mac Studio, Mac Pro, or maybe both.

Of course just theories...we shall see.

Nick

 

[Groovetube]

the M2 pro mini, and the studio M1max are possibly competing to a certain degree, but, there is a fairly significant difference in some performance, depending on if those differences are relevant to you.

The mini doesn't stack up to the studio when it comes to heavy video editing tasks, and stutters quite a bit in the timeline compared to the studio because it doesn't have the GPU muscle the studio has. But if one doesn't need that much raw GPU power, it may not be an issue, and that's where the mini M2pro may compete. If you add ram to 32 and get it to 19 GPU cores (the studio has 24) then you are pretty much at the cost of a studio. I have it in my M1max MBP and it's great for some stuff. There's been a number of audio/video guys I know with both, and it depends on what's important. The studio also apparently according to a couple pals, runs cooler and less fan noise when you're maxing it out, which may not be a problem for most, but it's a **** no for me.

I wonder if apple will finally release a 27" or similar iMac again. Those 27 retina screens are incredible.

 

[IWT]

I wonder if apple will finally release a 27" or similar iMac again. Those 27 retina screens are incredible.

I also wonder. My very first iMac was in 2008 and it was 24 inch.

Thereafter, all my iMacs have been 27 inch and I'd be very sad if I either had to downsize the screen size or go for a system which requires me to 'Build" a new Mac from "Mac mini" or "Mac Studio" where each component has to be purchased separately.

Progress is the mantra. I agree, but remember me (a bit of tongue in cheek)

Ian

 

[pigoo3]

the M2 pro mini, and the studio M1max are possibly competing to a certain degree, but, there is a fairly significant difference in some performance, depending on if those differences are relevant to you.

The mini doesn't stack up to the studio when it comes to heavy video editing tasks, and stutters quite a bit in the timeline compared to the studio because it doesn't have the GPU muscle the studio has. But if one doesn't need that much raw GPU power, it may not be an issue, and that's where the mini M2pro may compete. If you add ram to 32 and get it to 19 GPU cores (the studio has 24) then you are pretty much at the cost of a studio. I have it in my M1max MBP and it's great for some stuff. There's been a number of audio/video guys I know with both, and it depends on what's important. The studio also apparently according to a couple pals, runs cooler and less fan noise when you're maxing it out, which may not be a problem for most, but it's a **** no for me.

There are some comparison video reviews out there (M1 base Mac Studio vs. M2 Pro Mac Mini)...that under certain specific cases/work flow/projects...where the GPU performance of the M1 base Mac Studio does outperform the M2 Pro Mac-Mini...but these situations are not overly common.

According to many of the knowledgeable Youtube reviewers...as far as with is better (M1 base Mac Studio or M2 Pro Mac-Mini)...it's really a coin toss...with no clear winner or most users (CPU or GPU performance).

As mentioned...if the M2 Mac-Mini is spec'd up to match the base M1 Mac Studio...price is not a factor either. Also...both run cool...and both are quiet.

Due to this very very close comparison (base M1 Mac Studio vs. M2 Pro Mac Mini)...is why I returned the base M1 Mac Studio I purchased late January, 2023.

I purchased a 2nd Mac Studio arriving tomorrow (due to the great $1499 price...$500 off the Apple Store price). But won't open it for another 4-5 weeks...until all announcements have been made at WWDC in early June. Then I will decide to keep it or not.

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

Thereafter, all my iMacs have been 27 inch and I'd be very sad if I either had to downsize the screen size or go for a system which requires me to 'Build" a new Mac from "Mac mini" or "Mac Studio" where each component has to be purchased separately.

There are rumors that Apple is planning to release another 27" iMac...but the rumors seem to indicate that this 27" iMac will be a 27" iMac Pro. If true...more than likely this will be a very pricey computer (much like the previous 27" iMac Pro).

At the moment (it's been said)...the Mac Studio or the M2 Pro Mac Mini...paired with the new Apple Studio Display (in the current Apple lineup)...is/are the replacement for the 27" iMac.

- Nick

 

[Groovetube]

There are some comparison video reviews out there (M1 base Mac Studio vs. M2 Pro Mac Mini)...that under certain specific cases/work flow/projects...where the GPU performance of the M1 base Mac Studio does outperform the M2 Pro Mac-Mini...but these situations are not overly common.

According to many of the knowledgeable Youtube reviewers...as far as with is better (M1 base Mac Studio or M2 Pro Mac-Mini)...it's really a coin toss...with no clear winner or most users (CPU or GPU performance).

As mentioned...if the M2 Mac-Mini is spec'd up to match the base M1 Mac Studio...price is not a factor either. Also...both run cool...and both are quiet.

Due to this very very close comparison (base M1 Mac Studio vs. M2 Pro Mac Mini)...is why I returned the base M1 Mac Studio I purchased late January, 2023.

I purchased a 2nd Mac Studio arriving tomorrow (due to the great $1499 price...$500 off the Apple Store price). But won't open it for another 4-5 weeks...until all announcements have been made at WWDC in early June. Then I will decide to keep it or not.

- Nick

Actually you can't quite spec a mini M2pro to match a studio M1max, the memory bandwidth, ssd bandwidth is double on the studio, and you'll get more GPU cores. (and the I/O!) This isn't likely a major factor for most users, and the M2pro mini is extremely capable in it's own right. But also the much better thermal system on the studio is also important to most people in my work, as many have found out the mini, is much louder than the studio. Now, as you said, it's in 'uncommon situations', however, in my world, it's the norm. editing 4 (8 now!)k video running massive audio sessions using 4 or more monitors, is normal. Youtube is filled with those comparisons, and true, it is really for the people running really high end stuff and maxing the heck out of it. There are a lot of them mixing the fans and maxed out the studio wins hands down for quiet. In a studio, it isn't what your ear hears, it's what the mic hear... And I find most who aren't audio pros, discount this without knowing the differences. Recording studios now are more and more one room situations (most common now) and when Im running 30k in mics, 15 of them on a kit that's when the studio's thermal system is going to be crucial. Even one condenser mic in a room with a mini with fan noise most people wouldn't even notice, is going to raise your noise floor significantly. But, I ma basing my opinions on more real world studios I know who have bought the mini, and ones who got the studio and their impressions. Youtube shootouts are, not very useful to me.

Im eyeballing the studio because even my M1max MBP with it's nice thermal system, is causing issues if I'm running a high session with a huge number of plugins and virtual instruments, and I don't even really notice it until I listen back and go, where's the eq and the gate...

Im glad apple is finally addressing a growing segment of the pro world, that isn't 10k+ Mac pros but the specs of a mini isn't quite there. It'll be interesting to see what they do with the Mac Pro. I suspect that one is going to offer very serious power.

 

[Groovetube]

I should add, Im glad to see apple FINALLY, offering more choices rather than a few options, consumer, kinda pro, and 10 thousand dollars.

 

[pigoo3]

Actually you can't quite spec a mini M2pro to match a studio M1max, the memory bandwidth, ssd bandwidth is double on the studio, and you'll get more GPU cores. (and the I/O!)

Of course technically this is true...these are important details to some users (big file transfers, rendering times, etc)...but average users of these units won't notice the difference (users that don't make their living from their computers).

The main items to "spec up" for the M2 Pro Mac Mini to be more inline with the base M1 Mac Studio are:

* increase M2 Pro Mac Mini RAM to 32GB (+$400).
* choose the more GPU cores option (+$300)
* 10 Gigabit ethernet (+$100)

Sure there are other differences between the two machines...these are mostly the big ones we can upgrade.

...as many have found out the mini, is much louder than the studio.

I've watched a lot of You Tube videos where the reviewer has stress-tested both units (large 4k & 8k video, etc.)...and in most of these cases...the M2 Pro Mac-Mini still remains quiet & cool.

Sure if you throw something heavy enough at it...and continuously do it for hours & hours...the M2 Pro Mac-Mini will probably heat up & get louder. Some of the You Tube video's I watched did use a quality microphone to record any sound changes when both machines were stressed...and both remained quiet.

I certainly do agree...the Mac Studio cooling system is much more capable. Possibly over-built at the moment...maybe additional cooling capacity with the Mac Studio...if/when Apple comes out with new Mac Studio models with M2, M3, etc chips...and more CPU & GPU cores.

Now, as you said, it's in 'uncommon situations', however, in my world, it's the norm. editing 4 (8 now!)k video running massive audio sessions using 4 or more monitors, is normal. Youtube is filled with those comparisons, and true, it is really for the people running really high end stuff and maxing the heck out of it. There are a lot of them mixing the fans and maxed out the studio wins hands down for quiet. In a studio, it isn't what your ear hears, it's what the mic hear... And I find most who aren't audio pros, discount this without knowing the differences. Recording studios now are more and more one room situations (most common now) and when Im running 30k in mics, 15 of them on a kit that's when the studio's thermal system is going to be crucial. Even one condenser mic in a room with a mini with fan noise most people wouldn't even notice, is going to raise your noise floor significantly. But, I ma basing my opinions on more real world studios I know who have bought the mini, and ones who got the studio and their impressions. Youtube shootouts are, not very useful to me.

Yes you are hanging out with a very thin-slice of the Apple user market. Hanging out with serious audio & video folks (who will stress a computer way more than the average consumer).

It's like a bunch of astronauts hanging out with a bunch of astronauts...or a bunch of brain surgeons hanging out with other brain surgeons. When you hang out with a very select groups like these...opinions on things will tend to be very different than when we're talking about the average consumer (a way different crowd).

I won't debate the microphone/noise info...since I have not done it myself...nor am I an expert at it. But I will say the You Tube videos I watched where they do use a good quality microphone to record sound changes when stressing both computers...seemed to indicate that most of the time...both machines remained very quiet.

These videos did mention how important it was for the background noise in a sound studio to be minimized as much as possible...and how the Apple Silicon units are much better/more quiet...than previous Intel based Apple computers.

Im eyeballing the studio because even my M1max MBP with it's nice thermal system, is causing issues if I'm running a high session with a huge number of plugins and virtual instruments, and I don't even really notice it until I listen back and go, where's the eq and the gate...

Ooh yes...some of the You Tube video's I've watched definitely touched on this. Notebook computers may have the same number of CPU & GPU cores as the M2 Pro Mac-Mini or Mac Studio's (great performance)...but they definitely don't have the cooling capacity anywhere close to the Mac Studio.

Trust me...I don't spend this sort of cash on a computer very often. I've literally watched 50+ You Tube videos on the Mac Studio, M2 Pro Mac Mini, and comparisons of them head to head.

To boil things down from all those videos...the Mac Studio vs. M2 Pro Mac Mini comparison (which is better)...is really a coin flip...not very clear at all (performance or price). Performance-wise (which is what's most important parameter to most folks)...both units are very close.

In fact...in many of the videos the M2 Pro Mac-Mini slightly bested the Mac Studio (Mac Studio was definitely NOT the clear winner in very many tests). In most situations...the upgraded 12 core CPU core/19 core GPU M2 Pro Mac-Mini...was just as good (if not better)...than the 10 core CPU/24 core GPU base Mac Studio.

About the only tests where the Mac Studio was clearly better...was when the additional video encoders of the Mac Studio were utilized (which isn't very many of the tests).

It was very close results like this that prompted me to return the Mac Studio I purchased in January. I wanted one of these units to be the clear winner over the other...to make me feel like the purchase I made (large cash outlay) was the right one.

The actual BIGGEST difference between the two units is monitor support. If someone needed to run 5 monitors...then the Mac Studio is definitely the way to go. If someone was good with a maximum of 3 monitors...then the M2 Pro Mac Mini will get it done.

Nick

 

[Groovetube]

We may have different perspectives... lets remember that a specced up mini M2pro doesn't quite match a base studio. But the differences do become much smaller at this point, and well, the price difference which is almost negligible reflects this. Where the top specced mini stops, the studio takes over as a base model. Now, from here, you can begin speccing up the studio, which you can no longer do with a mini, and this addresses finally... a really fast growing segment of smaller to mid level content pros (like myself) that wanted more options than previous all in ones, and this, is where the studio line comes into play. I would take some of the YouTube stuff with a grain of salt, I have seen the fan noise difference first hand, minis if pushed really hard, louder., and was a serious problem for a few I know But, most regular users will never likely push it like that given a minis fast headroom. I can't record with my MBP M1Max if load up a massive session. Fan noise is too much.

This segment I refer to has been growing fast, it may not be quite as thin as it once was, especially since the pandemic with more and pros working from home, independents subcontracting who wanted/needed something between the all in ones and the more expensive Mac pros. Most audio is getting recorded in small one room studios and the majority of big recording studios are now long gone. Apple clearly is waking up to this and addressing it. I have long seen for the last number of years pros switching to PCs not because windows, but hardware options. This wasn't a thing until recently, and the platform choice stats for pro tools, was shocking to see the Mac platform plummet, and fast.

It'll be interesting to see what apple does with the Mac Pro. My hope is, like the mini > studio, the Mac Pro with base at where the studio maxes out.

 

[pigoo3]

Main purpose of the this thread...was to make members in the United States aware of the terrific deal they can currently get on a base model Mac Studio from Costco for just $1499 ($500 off the current Apple Store price). You won't find this deal anywhere else!

At $1499 for the base M1 Mac Studio...compared to the $1299 base M2 Pro Mac Mini...or the $2099 M2 Pro Mac Mini (spec'd up to match the Mac Studio)...$1499 for the base Mac Studio is a terrific deal.

That's $600 less than the spec'd up $2099 M2 Pro Mac Mini.

Price is good until 5-14-23 (5 more days as of this message). If not 100% sure...buy it now...and receive the computer. You got 90 days no questions asked return policy to check out it...and/or see how the Apple computing environment changes in the next 90 days...(in other words any big announcements from WWDC in early June, 2023).

Nick

 

[pigoo3]

New Mac Studio arrived yesterday. Will wait to see what's announced at WWDC early June to determine if the box gets opened.



$1499 Mac Studio deal at Costco valid 4 more days (expires 5-14-23).

Nick

 

[Groovetube]

I wish the Canadian stores would follow suit, the best price here is the refurb alight discount at 2250 (can)

im going to be watching wwdc as well.