From dpa | Jun 30, 2023 5:33 p.m
With its own chips, Apple has not only set itself apart from the competition with the iPhone. Apple chips have now also replaced those from Intel in Macs. But which Mac is the best choice?
Since the beginning of June, the Intel age has finally been history at Apple. The complete switch to proprietary chips that came with the new Mac Pro is an important milestone, also because many observers were no longer expecting a new high-end Mac. The idea of two other new Macs almost went under. However, the two models are much more relevant for the mass market than the Mac Pro high-performance computer. We’re talking about the MacBook Air 2023, Apple’s first 15-inch model (15″) for beginners, and the Mac Studio desktop computer, which can also advance into the high-performance class depending on the equipment.
The new Macbook Air 15″ offers enough performance for consumers
So far, consumers looking for an Apple laptop with a larger screen have had to turn to a MacBook Pro, which is in a completely different league in terms of price. Now there is a useful offer with the Macbook Air 15″. Apple presented the laptop at the WWDC developer conference in June. With prices starting at 1,600 euros, it’s not a bargain, but it’s much less of a burden on the cash register than a MacBook Pro with prices starting at 2,400 euros (14 inches) or even 3,000 euros (16 inches).
Bigger screen, better sound
In return, you get even more power, better screens and speakers with audibly more “boom” with the Pro models. But the MacBook Air is good enough in all respects to serve as an Apple laptop for home or study.
The new MacBook Air 15″ hardly differs from the 13-inch model except for the screen size. In order to be able to meet the power requirements of the larger display, Apple also installed a larger battery (66.5 instead of 52.6 watt hours). And when it comes to sound, Apple also uses the larger area and uses six instead of just four speakers, which ensure good surround sound.
Like the smaller model, the new Macbook Air can only control one external monitor. Both Air models work silently without a fan. At peak loads, this means that the computers downclock the Apple chip inside if necessary to avoid heat damage.
The Pro models are significantly more powerful: but the new Macbook Air is more than good enough for private use in all areas. Photo: Apple/dpa-tmn
MacBook Air 15″ joins the 13-inch model
With the larger model, Apple closes a gap in the range and does not force its customers to spend a lot more money on a MacBook Pro just because they want a larger screen. In order to also appeal to buyers with a smaller budget, Apple has left the previous model with the M1 chip in its range. This is available from just under 1200 euros, but only offers a 13-inch screen. The 13-inch model with the more powerful M2 chip is also available from 1300 euros.
Mac Studio with new Ultra chip
Let’s come to the new Mac Studio with the striking aluminum housing, which was milled from one block like the Mac mini, but turned out to be significantly higher – as if two Mac minis had been stacked on top of each other. The additional space can be used to expand the Mac Studio into a powerful machine that will exceed the needs of most users. The basic model for 2400 euros has an M2 Max chip with 12 CPU cores and 30 graphics cores (GPU). The number of GPU cores is increased to 38 for a surcharge of 230 euros.
The new Mac Studio has a striking aluminum housing that is milled from a block. Photo: Bernd Diekjobst/dpa-tmn
For a significantly higher budget, you can turn the performance screw almost as you like: From 4800 euros you can get the Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra chip. The Ultra has twice the performance and memory of an M2 Max. Finally, the M2 Ultra was assembled from two M2 Mac chips using “Ultra Fusion” technology. In the highest full configuration with an unbelievable 192 gigabytes (GB) of main memory and a huge 8 terabyte (TB) SSD hard drive, Apple even breaks the threshold of 10,000 euros.
Internal copper heatsink
To ensure that such a high-performance Mac does not become a noisy pain in the neck on the desk, Apple has installed an internal copper heat sink in the Ultra models. In our test model with the M2 Max, the heat sink is made of aluminum. And unlike the first-generation Mac Studio with an M1 Max, the new edition stayed so quiet when we were crunching heavy rendering jobs in Final Cut Pro that we couldn’t hear the gentle airflow.
The good performance values of the M2 Max are particularly noticeable when editing photos or images. To render a three-minute 4K resolution video in Final Cut Pro with Apple ProRes, the Mac Studio with M2 Max took just 30 seconds. That’s a very good value. And the Mac Studio also knows how to convince when it comes to the scope with even higher resolutions.
Compared to the current 27-inch iMac, rendering an 8K video in Final Cut Pro is 3.4 times faster with the M2 Max chip. If the M2 Ultra is in the cube, this is even five times as fast. Users of video editing programs such as Davinci Resolve Studio or Topaz Video AI will also enjoy the Mac Studio.
Suitable for games
With its high graphics performance, the aluminum cube is not only suitable for smooth work, but also for games. Although Macs are hardly widespread in the scene, our test model doesn’t need to hide behind classic gaming PCs. This can also be seen in the benchmark of the game “Shadow of the Tomb Raider”. Here the Mac Studio with the M2 Max averages 102 frames per second at 1080p, which is good.
The basic model of the new Mac Studio for 2400 euros has an M2 Max chip with 12 CPU cores and 30 graphics cores (GPU). Photo: Bernd Diekjobst/dpa-tmn
The connections that the Mac Studio offers are also lavishly laid out: As with the Mac mini with the M2 Pro chip, the computer has four Thunderbolt connections, two USB-A connections, an HDMI connection, a headphone jack and an Ethernet -Connection. However, the Mac Studio also has two USB-C ports on the front and an SD card reader, which are missing from the M2 Mac mini. In the model with the M2 Ultra, the USB-C ports on the front also support Thunderbolt 4. The Mac Studio also comes standard with an extremely fast 10 Gigabit Ethernet port and a 3.5 millimeter jack for headsets, headphones or speakers equipped.
Never annoying fan noise
With the new edition of the Mac Studio, Apple offers a computer with a very high working speed that produces much less heat than conventional Windows PCs. The designer power cube never gets on your nerves with loud fan noises. But it is more expensive than computers from the Windows warehouse.
As with the MacBooks, you should think carefully about how lavishly equipped the computer should be before you buy it, because the internally installed RAM cannot be expanded later. You can of course connect external SSD drives for more storage space for data and programs.
If the Mac Studio M2 Max is too expensive with a starting price of just under 2400 euros, you can look around for the previous model with the M1 Max. This model is no longer available from Apple itself. Many Apple dealers offer it from 1850 euros. For a small budget there is the Mac mini with the M2 chip from just under 700 euros, which then only has a small SSD disk (256 GB) installed.