Apple’s Mac Studio to Feature M4 Ultra Chip Design in Early 2025, While Upcoming Mac Pro May Exclude This Chipset

Last year, Apple announced several new chips, including the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max, aimed at enhancing the performance of its lineup of Macs. However, anticipation has been building for the M4 Ultra, set to power the more robust Mac Studio and Mac Pro systems. Recent updates have revealed that the launch of the M4 Ultra is expected in the first half of this year, indicating that the debut of Apple’s workstations is just around the corner. Interestingly, reports suggest that while the Mac Studio will be equipped with the M4 Ultra, the Mac Pro might not feature this cutting-edge silicon.

Introducing the Updated Mac Studio: M4 Max and M4 Ultra Options

Earlier reports indicated a potential release of a revamped Mac Studio and Mac Pro in 2025, but it has been clarified that only the Mac Studio will receive the M4 Ultra. Industry insider Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has confirmed that the new, compact Mac Studio will offer configurations powered by either the M4 Max or the M4 Ultra. The M4 Max has already demonstrated impressive performance capabilities, particularly in its top-tier version boasting 16 cores, achieving outstanding single-core results among Apple silicon chips. However, its multi-core performance is only marginally improved, yielding less than a 20% increase compared to the M4 Pro.

Details about the M4 Ultra remain elusive, but previous reports suggest that this formidable System on Chip (SoC) may feature an astonishing 32 cores, projected to be 50% faster than the M4 Max based on Geekbench 6 benchmarks. This makes it likely to outperform even the latest AMD Ryzen 9 9950X by nearly doubling its score. Furthermore, with the potential inclusion of an 80-core GPU, the M4 Ultra could redefine performance standards in graphics processing. Given the impressive framerate capabilities demonstrated in the M4 Mac mini with older AAA titles, one can only speculate the incredible performance figures the M4 Ultra will achieve.

What stands out in the recent findings is the indication that the upcoming Mac Pro will not utilize the M4 Ultra but rather will be paired with a different SoC, the specifics of which will be revealed in future discussions. This strategic choice by Apple seems aimed at establishing a clearer distinction between the two models. It is noteworthy that the previous M2 Ultra configuration of the Mac Studio possessed nearly identical hardware to the Mac Pro, yet it was priced significantly lower—around $3,000 less—making it a favorable option for many consumers.

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