M2 Max vs M2 Ultra Mac Studio: Is it Worth $2000 MORE?

Summary

The video compares the M2 Max and M2 Ultra Max Studio, questioning if the extra $2000 for the Ultra is justified. The Ultra is heavier due to a copper cooler and offers more Thunderbolt ports and display connectivity. It has faster SSD speeds and double the RAM and CPU cores, but performance isn't always double, varying across tasks. The Ultra also excels in 3D rendering and photo editing, but for many users, the M2 Max offers sufficient performance. The host suggests the Ultra may be worth it for specific tasks like Blender, but generally, the extra cost is hard to justify.

Takeaways

• 💰 The M2 Ultra costs an extra two thousand dollars compared to the M2 Max.
• 🔥 The M2 Ultra is heavier due to a copper cooler inside, which also impacts fan noise and temperatures.
• 🔌 The M2 Ultra has Thunderbolt ports instead of standard USB Type-C, allowing for more display connections.
• 🚀 The M2 Ultra supports double the RAM and has faster SSD speeds compared to the M2 Max.
• 📊 In Geekbench tests, the M2 Ultra showed about 42% more multi-core performance than the M2 Max.
• 🌐 For web browsing and web-based applications like Figma, both systems performed similarly.
• 🎨 In graphics performance, the M2 Ultra has double the core counts, but the performance difference was not exactly double.
• 🔥 The M2 Ultra runs hotter and has a copper cooler, while the M2 Max has an aluminum cooler and runs cooler.
• 🖥️ For tasks like 3D rendering in Blender and photo editing in Lightroom, the M2 Ultra showed significant performance advantages.
• 📹 In video editing, the M2 Ultra was faster in tasks like exporting, especially with standard footage.
• 🤔 The script suggests that for most users, the M2 Max might offer sufficient performance, making the extra cost for the M2 Ultra hard to justify.

Q & A

What is the main difference in weight between the M2 Ultra and M2 Max?

The M2 Ultra is heavier than the M2 Max because it has a copper cooler inside, which weighs more than the aluminum cooler in the M2 Max.

How many displays can the M2 Ultra connect compared to the M2 Max?

The M2 Ultra can connect to eight displays instead of the five that the M2 Max can handle.

What is the standard RAM that comes with the M2 Ultra?

The M2 Ultra comes with 64 gigs of RAM standard.

What is the core processor difference between the M2 Ultra and M2 Max?

The M2 Ultra comes with a 24 core processor, while the M2 Max has a 12 core processor.

How much faster is the SSD speed on the M2 Ultra compared to the M2 Max?

The M2 Ultra has faster SSD speeds as it comes standard with a one terabyte SSD, whereas the M2 Max comes with 512GB SSD, but can be upgraded to match the speed for an additional cost.

What is the performance difference in Geekbench single-core testing between the M2 Ultra and M2 Max?

Interestingly, the M2 Ultra scored lower in single-core performance compared to the M2 Max in Geekbench.

By what percentage is the multi-core performance of the M2 Ultra better than the M2 Max according to the script?

The multi-core performance of the M2 Ultra is roughly 42 percent better than the M2 Max.

How does the M2 Ultra perform in web-based applications like Figma?

The smoothness of web-based applications like Figma is identical on both systems.

What is the difference in the number of graphics cores between the M2 Ultra and M2 Max?

The M2 Ultra has 60 graphics cores compared to 30 in the M2 Max.

How much faster is the M2 Ultra in rendering a BMW test in Blender compared to the M2 Max?

The M2 Ultra took just 13 seconds to render the BMW test in Blender, compared to 21 seconds for the M2 Max.

In terms of video editing, how much faster is the M2 Ultra at exporting a standard five-minute 4K project with effects compared to the M2 Max?

The M2 Ultra is incredibly fast at exporting, taking just over two minutes for a 20-minute project, compared to the M2 Max.

What is the opinion of the reviewer regarding spending an extra two thousand dollars on the M2 Ultra?

The reviewer personally would not spend the extra two thousand dollars on the M2 Ultra because the performance of the M2 Max is already incredibly fast and the scaling in many tasks is not perfect.