Versus Engine
Apple M4 Max SoC vs Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max/Ultra)
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Apple M4 Max SoC against Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max/Ultra), side by side.
Cheaper to start
Tie
Both start at a similar price.
Best ecosystem
Tie
Neither lists native integrations.
Standout
Apple M4 Max SoC
1TB SSD storage
Apple M4 Max SoC
Apple's powerhouse silicon designed for high-bandwidth local AI workloads.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Supports up to 18 hours of video streaming
- High-resolution and high-refresh-rate display support
- Robust 1TB SSD storage
Cons
- Weight of 3.6 pounds (1.62 kg) may be cumbersome for some users
- Limited upgrade options for memory and storage
- Power requirements may necessitate specific power supplies
Specifications
- MemoryApple M4 Pro chip
- memory_bandwidth400GB/s
- Apple Intelligence 1Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.
- Apple M4 Max chip1TB SSD
- AudioHigh-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
- Battery and PowerM4 Pro 4
- Bluetooth—
- Charging and ExpansionSDXC card slot
- Color1 billion colors
- Configurable to2TB, 4TB, or 8TB
- Configurable withNano-texture display
- CPU—
- Depth8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
- DisplayLiquid Retina XDR display
- Display SupportM4 Pro
- Displays Supported—
- Fixed refresh rates47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz
- Frequency50Hz to 60Hz
- GPU—
- M4 MaxSimultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and
- M4 Max 4Up to 18 hours video streaming
- macOSthe most advanced desktop operating system in the world. It helps you stay productive and creative with help from Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, 9 window tiling, our biggest update ever to Spotlight, and more.
- Maximum shipping altitude35,000 feet
- Maximum storage altitude15,000 feet
- neural_engine_cores16
- Operating altitudetested up to 10,000 feet (3000 meters)
- Operating RequirementsLine voltage: 100V to 240V AC
- Operating SystemmacOS
- Operating temperature50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
- Refresh ratesProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
- Relative humidity0% to 90% noncondensing
- SDR brightnessup to 1000 nits (outdoor)
- Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors andUp to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
- Size and WeightHeight: 0.61 inch (1.55 cm)
- SSD Architecture—
- Storage 5Apple M4 Pro chip
- Storage Performance—
- Storage temperature-13° to 113° F (-25° to 45° C)
- Studio Display XDR—
- Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports with support forCharging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s), USB 4 (up to 120Gb/s)
- Thunderbolt—
- Thunderbolt 5 Bandwidth—
- Unified Memory—
- Up to four external displaysUp to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
- Up to three external displaysUp to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
- Weight (M4 Max)3.6 pounds (1.62 kg) 8
- Weight (M4 Pro)3.5 pounds (1.60 kg) 8
- Wi-Fi—
- Wide color(P3)
- Width12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
- XDR brightness1000 nits sustained full-screen, 1600 nits peak 3 (HDR content only)
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max/Ultra)
Extreme performance desktop for pro workflows, supporting up to 512GB of unified memory.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Supports up to 512GB of unified memory for demanding workloads.
- Up to 80-core GPU for exceptional graphics and computational performance.
- Next-generation SSD architecture and twice-as-fast storage performance.
Cons
- High power draw necessitates a specific power supply.
- Expensive at $5499, making it a niche product for professionals.
Specifications
- MemoryUp to 512GB Unified
- memory_bandwidth1.2TB/s
- Apple Intelligence 1—
- Apple M4 Max chip—
- Audio—
- Battery and Power—
- BluetoothBluetooth 6
- Charging and Expansion—
- Color—
- Configurable to—
- Configurable with—
- CPU36-core
- Depth—
- Display—
- Display Support—
- Displays Supportedup to eight
- Fixed refresh rates—
- Frequency—
- GPUup to 80-core
- M4 Max—
- M4 Max 4—
- macOS—
- Maximum shipping altitude—
- Maximum storage altitude—
- neural_engine_cores—
- Operating altitude—
- Operating Requirements—
- Operating System—
- Operating temperature—
- Refresh rates—
- Relative humidity—
- SDR brightness—
- Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and—
- Size and Weight—
- SSD Architecturenext-generation
- Storage 5—
- Storage Performanceup to twice as fast
- Storage temperature—
- Studio Display XDRup to four at full 5K resolution and 120Hz
- Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports with support for—
- ThunderboltThunderbolt 5
- Thunderbolt 5 Bandwidth120Gb/s
- Unified Memoryup to 512GB
- Up to four external displays—
- Up to three external displays—
- Weight (M4 Max)—
- Weight (M4 Pro)—
- Wi-FiWi-Fi 7
- Wide color—
- Width—
- XDR brightness—