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Front of the silver Apple Mac Studio with two USB-C ports and an SD card slot

AppleDesktop computer

Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max, 36 GB, 512 GB)

A small workstation for heavy creative work, worth it only if your projects really use the M5 Max.

Setuplify score
Setuplify score: 8.8/10
Value score
Value score: 6.8/10
Best for
Video, photo and music production

Price

$2,299at Amazon

In stock

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What we like

  • M5 Max with 32-core GPU for heavy creative work
  • Four Thunderbolt 5 ports and 10Gb Ethernet
  • Front SDXC reader and USB-C ports
  • Up to five external displays

What to know

  • Expensive for office work
  • 512 GB SSD is small for video projects
  • Memory and storage cannot be upgraded

Specifications

Form factorMini PC
Operating systemmacOS
ProcessorApple M5 Max, 18-core CPU
GraphicsApple M5 Max, 32-core GPU (integrated)
Memory36 GB
Storage512 GB
PortsThunderbolt 5 x4 (rear), USB-A 5 Gb/s x2 (rear), HDMI 2.1, 10Gb Ethernet, Headphone jack, USB-C 10 Gb/s x2 (front), SDXC card slot (front)

About the Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max, 36 GB, 512 GB)

The Mac Studio is the desktop we suggest when a Mac mini is no longer enough: long 4K and 8K video timelines, big photo libraries, 3D work or music sessions with many plug-ins. This base model uses the M5 Max chip with an 18-core CPU and a 32-core GPU, 36 GB of unified memory and a 512 GB SSD, in an aluminium box 19.7 cm square and 9.5 cm tall.

The ports are made for a studio desk: four Thunderbolt 5 ports, two USB-A, HDMI 2.1, 10Gb Ethernet and a headphone jack at the back, plus two USB-C ports and an SDXC card reader at the front. It drives up to five external displays. As on every Mac, memory and storage are fixed at purchase, and 512 GB is tight for video work, so plan for fast external storage.

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