Yep, it's 30 minutes. Feel free to listen in the background or grab some snacks. We're behind the scenes on this one. If you decide to hang out, I appreciate your time.
Found your channel, and I must admit it's a fresh approach to all to sudo benchmark testing everyone else does on You Tube. Real world testing is what people want, and you have wisely filled that need perfectly. Great work, keep pumping out this kind of fantastic content and you will easily crack the 100K wall before you know it.
Cancelled my Studio order and bought a Mini. Very happy with it. For the difference of these two, i will buy the upcoming MacBook Air. I think this suits perfect for my needs, the Studio is overkill for me. This video confirms this. Thank you for the Great review. Instant fan !
Omg u r so brave. I still can’t make a decision. I never used m1. I’m from the intel mac and I don’t do video editing. So I am trying to understand what spec should I go for with my need for 4 years. Enjoy the new Mac!
Hey Kevin, how about testing the Mac Studio M1 MAX Thunderbolt 4 ports with EXTERNAL SSDs to see if the controllers slows down the external SSD like on the M1 Mac Mini???
I know this is better on the 14-inch, but preliminary tests are telling me they’re better, but I need to dive in more on these tests rather than just synthetic benchmarks.
@@KevinRossRN Someone commented on YT that a T7 external SSD is AS SLOW on the Mac Studio M1 MAX than on the M1 Mac Mini... (both from slower front USB-C ports, and back TB4 ports of the Mac Studio M1 Max). I thought the Studio wouldn't have this limitation because it's a "prosumer" device, and not an entry level like M1 Mac Mini, but Apple thinks otherwise it seems... A detailed test would be ideal here. I'm looking at the base model Mac Studio with external SSDs to edit 4K 10-bit 422 log footage from my GH5, but I will wait now to see which external SSDs or SSD enclosures work best with the Mac Studio base model. Thanks for all the free content you put out Kevin!
So as far as those pre-built enclosures, they’re having a few issues as of late, which is too bad because they’re a great investment (usually). I know that the Acasis and Samsung 980PRO are an awesome pair. One of my favs.
About the blender rendering: after doing it wrong (or rather, failing to do it rightly) for months, I found out that I wasn’t turning metal on under Blender->Edit->Preferences->System. So even though I was telling it to use the GPUs, it was not. Did you turn metal on in preferences for these tests?
Yeah, Metal is on. And, I’ve seen more offloading to the GPU than my previous tests. Before, there was barely any GPU usage. But, we’re also going to still see that CPU kick up as well…I’ll continue to test this further and doublecheck these benchmarks, however I really wanted to see if I could thermally throttle the machines…which that studio has so much headroom.
Can you do a video how to connect ultra wide to Mac Studio? There are some videos showing problems with connecting non-native monitors/peripherals to Apple's Mac Studio.
Yeah MacOS is really terrible in my opinion when it comes to monitors and the scaling issue, however this is one of the reasons I’ve stayed with this particular ultrawide, because it’s literally just plugged in and ready to roll with the correct aspect ratio. I’ll have to look for those videos that are discussing this issue, and I did do a video awhile back on this subject, but are you referring specifically to the aspect ratio?
@@KevinRossRN not only aspect ratio but compatibility in general. I saw a video from another guy who had problems with LG34" too. Not sure what he did to make it worl but I do see many youtubers with the mac Mini and LG ultra monitors. I've ordered a Mac Studio and lookkng at the LG40" thunderbolt 4 but I hardly see any reviews yet since it's only a few months on the market.
I believe Gary (the everyday dad) has that same monitor. If I’m not mistaken. He hasn’t reviewed officially but has been using it with his M1 machines without to much issue from what he’s shared. Although he recently got the Studio Display and does say that it’s a better experience. Mostly due to the sleep/wake issues. But as far as aspect ratio and color accuracy it was his main monitor until the Studio Display, which he had only been using the LG a couple of months.
Yeah, he’s got it set up in several videos of I’m not mistaken, and most of us in the tech community hang out on Twitter and talk about what’s working and not, so if you see him over there you should be able to look in his feed where he talks about the display.
With FCPX, it’s great. These machines are optimized for this codec. Even more so with the M1 Max, but the M1 can handle it. Just get the 16GBs of RAM if you’re considering it.
Congrats. And ProRes being “Apple’s” codec should perform quite well. I took ARRI Alexa footage and transcoded it to ProRes. Granted it wasn’t Raw, but it was ProRes 4444HQ, and the MBA handled it. But I’ve also worked with Raw, and others have been able to use it on their M1s as well. Honestly though you could transcode to 4444 and (in my opinion) still have quite a bit of data to work with when grading. The M1 Max of course chews through it no problem because of the built in encoders.
On the Mac mini you used 16gb ram or 8 gb ram for this test ? Also how 512 SSD or 1T SSD ? Do you recommend the Mini for music production and photoshop editing for big Raw files ?
Can you run a quick test for me? I would love to see how 8k raw red footage renders in fps as 8k prores. It’s a quick test because you can see the fps right after it’s submitted in the progress bar. My M1 mini renders in 3 fps. So hoping for many times that!! Thanks!!!
@@KevinRossRN using the deliver page you can set it to render a clip at 8k resolution and it will as where to save it to the hard drive. As soon ad you submit the render it will give you the fps right away in the render progress bar. Does this make sense? Thanks again!!!
Hi Kevin, do you use h.264 or h.265 export for YT? And why? I am using h265 together with compressor on my MB Air 16GB M1…this is for Fujifilm X-T4 footage. Thanks 🙏
I use a compressed h.264 for YT. Even though YT says they support HEVC 265 I just find that the quality of the 264 is really good, and it processes almost immediately on YT. Not to mention that it’s YT and most are watching on their mobile devices anyway.
@@KevinRossRN hmm maybe I need to retest everything but I like saving space and also the upload is faste as the file is smaller. I mostly upload to vimeo. I just noticed that instagram does better wit 264 ....or lets put it like this...the video playback on older devices is smoother ...265 can be choppy on older systems. I you could export to 265 and see if there is a difference to the good old M1 that would be interesting. Although I am super happy with my MBAir. Thank you!
How big are the files you’re uploading? For a 10-15min video I’m usually in the 2-3GBs give or take. I’ve got another video I’m working on right now where I work through a multicam timeline that’s an hour long and it’s around 17GBs when exported.
@@KevinRossRN the compressed (h265 1080p) files are around 1 - 5 GB big ...most videos are 1,5 h some 3 h long... it's nothing fancy, mostly just talking head videos with simple cuts...but usually I do one / week ...so it adds onto my storage / backup needs and I wend from 4k down to 1080p again...to save space...and also Fujis 10bit 4.2.0 1080p looks very good, so there is no need for me to waste space...
Oh for sure. Storage space is the non exciting side of this business. I’m currently at around 50TBs and it’s about time a build a new NAS to try and double that for this next year 🤯 But 1080 for RUclips, especially with the right bit depth is just fine in my opinion. Fuji produces gorgeous footage.
Hey Kevin this video never reached my only just now, really hope we get to see a Mac mini with the M2, because the M2 in the new MacBook Air seems to throttle pretty fast from the other reviews so with some more cooling in the mini would be great what do you think
Yeah, this older video is getting pushed because of my latest video. I think the M2 in the mini would have been the better choice, but in my testing so far, with video editing, I haven’t gotten it to throttle. The M1 is still the better value right now.
Cool, great comparison. Thanks for the effort. Could you talk more about swapping and what potential consequences could it have on small SSDs in mini and studio?
I have discussed this on other videos and will say that (obviously) swap isn’t new, it’s just that these machines are so efficient that you don’t even notice it. In my opinion I believe these SSDs have many years of life. I was even a “victim” of the random read/write that occurred early on in Big Sur, but that did get resolved however I will say that it wrote many TBs of info.
Do you need portability? Because my answer is typically that we’re paying for the convenience of having a machine on the go when it comes to any laptop.
That’s good content! I’m waiting for mine to arrive and getting tired of seeing benchmark videos and numbers I don’t understand or care. I ordered the base model but upgraded the storage to 1tb. And this was the real world usage video I was looking for. Thanks!
Hey, glad to help Henry. Folks around here know that synthetic benchmarks really only tell so much of the story. I run a few from time to time, but always add the real world stuff along with it. Congrats on your machine.
i returned my mac studio, i wasn't seeing the results in my workflow i was expecting, over my 16gb mac mini.not enough to justify keeping a $2,000 computer. however, I did end up getting the studio display. its really nice an im still hopeful for a 27'' imac
Thank you. That was excellent. My only device is a Gen 3 iPad Pro 12.9 inch so any of these would be an enormous improvement for me. I’ll either be going with a refurb/used Mac Mini if I find a great deal or a base model Studio. Thanks again. 👍🏻
Is M1 Max Studio (32 core GPU) more powerful than M1 Max MacBook Pro (32 core GPU) because of better cooling and no battery limitations ? I am deciding between Studio and MacBook and this answer would be helpful :)
It really comes down to thermals. It seems the 24 core GPU is working “harder” than the 32-core, but really that MBP hits the ceiling, which is what limits it. However, what I will say is that between 24 and 32 on the studio, you might be looking at seconds instead of minutes…just my take. However I will say that the 32-core for some gaming seems to help, even though gaming on a Mac is “controversial” 😏
I will be very grateful if you help me. I do lives on youtube and use Ecamm Live, but I want to start broadcasts on Instagram using OBS Studio simultaneously. I'm in doubt whether to buy the Mac mini 16gb or the Mas Studio. Would you help me? Is the Mac mini capable of making 2 simultaneous transmissions and using Keynote in parallel, as well as other peripherals such as the stream deck and 2 cameras connected to the capture cards?
I’ve definitely run multiple cams on the mini while streaming, although I haven’t tried to run OBS and something like Ecamm or Streamyard separately. I’ll have to look into that.
In terms of longevity of hardware, would the MacBook Pro (with lesser cooling) have a shorter lifespan than a Mac Studio (with better cooling)? I do 90% of my video editing on a desk, but am attracted by the idea of not spending that much more to get a MBP 14" for occasional overseas travel. But if I get the MBP, it'd mean using it attached to a monitor, with keyboard and mouse attached, with it closed shut. I'm guessing the MBP would be subject to more heat-stress in that closed configuration. What do you think?
Well laptops in general typically have a shorter lifespan as there are more moving parts to break or wear out. It really does come down to wanting that portability. And even though I do a lot of work on the desk, I still use the MBP around the house and in the car when I’m waiting on my kids at soccer practice (or whatever). So for me the portability is very nice. But there’s also maintenance. I can pop the bottom off the MBP and blow out those fans to keep the cooling functioning as it was designed whereas the studio, although you can take it apart, there still may be some limitations for most to blow the dust out. But hands down the Studio is a really good deal in my opinion. It’s a lot of money to spend for just about anyone, but this is likely going to serve the user for years to come.
Great review. I also ordered Mac Studio Max base model (1Tb ssd though). You said, in the end, that it was running quite cool, but how was fan noise? There is some talk in internet that Studio Max fan can be quite noisy even with idle? Not sure if that is true or not, and everyone sure has own opinion what is noisy or not. :)
I meant to weigh in on this. I couldn’t hear the fan. It never spun up over 1400RPM. I’m not sure what’s happening with those other machines, but this thing is quiet.
Awesomeness. Truly appreciate your work and insights. I'd have to agree if there is a need to upgrade the mini then the base model studio would be the sound over time well worth the expense option. I took the same approach with the air. If I'm upgrading the 8 core ram and increasing the drive I might as well level up to the pro 14". Thanks for all you do. Continue
Hi, could you please test the performance of the mac studio vs Mac mini with this software (topaz video enhance ai) which requires a lot of resources from my graphics card (AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT 16 GB) from my imac 2020 (3.6 GHz Intel Core i9 10 cores). Best Regards
Great video Kevin! Im deciding between 32/64gb and 24/32cores. I work with Davinci (if im correct, you use PP?) and lightroom/PS. My camera at the moment is A73, but I do plan to upgrade it to either s3 or if something new comes in next two years (right now I prefer to upgrade my old gtx1060 laptop and camera later). From what I've seen, your base model of studio works great, but what do you think, will there be much of a difference with 32cores & 64gb of ram?
As far as Resolve, it is awesome on these M1s. I primarily use FCPX, but Resolve as well. As far as PP, if this were my primary NLE, I’d likely be still rocking a PC for that. I actually have a PC that use with PP. I know others have had success with it on the M1, but I just haven’t. Maybe I’m using it wrong 🤷♂️ But I do use LR and PS and I haven’t had a single issue on this base model so far, but it’s still early of course. Those programs are RAM hungry, but the swap on these machines are brilliant. The 32-Core on the studio would likely beat out the MBP just because of the thermals, but honestly, I don’t think by much. Also, I think 32GBs of RAM is plenty for most, however if you want to run multiple VMs, doing some development or some really heavy tasks, like heavier than what I showed you, then if you have the budget, it might be a worthy upgrade. But this base model has years ahead where it will perform. In my opinion of course.
@@KevinRossRN thanks for response buddy. No, my main goal for Mac studio usage is Davinci for video (full editing, including coloring, fusion,...) and PS/LR. Nothing else, for other things I still have PC (FPV sim,etc).
@@KevinRossRN I have a week to decide if to dump my Ultra and go Max. I’m a little concerned that it’s not worth it but it could also be we need the new final cut version with optimizations…
If you’re cutting in FCPX then the Max should be able to handle that. I’ve done some silly timelines on the MBP. You doing doc style work with those long edits?
@@KevinRossRN Yeah, doc wedding edits and occasional 30 min corporate interviews. 5 streams of 4k with LUTs, and corrections, and grain can add up. Currently have to stick with 1080 for a managable experience. Playing the multicam in 2x speed would also be actual use case for me as it helps save time. Also had some simple 4 minute stuff, with iMockups3D and it made my machine crawl. I've been wondering if my external Sandisk V2 Pro SSD will be able to deliver for the Multicams. Currently XAVCS 4k 60 from my A7IV does not play well at all, even off my sandisk. Benchmarks and basic scrubbing is great but multicam with luts, noise reduction, grain added, color corrections, audio with compressor and noise reduction all at the same time is what I am after, as well as if your external SSD solutions keep up. Thanks again for your consideration!
interesting comparison. I would have liked some processes that are more taxing on the GPU even in 4K, like more complex transitions or layer blending, as this is really a problem for playback with the base M1 ... for instance knowing the limit of the Mac Studio and when it starts to drop frames. On another issue, someone pointed on another channel that external drives were not responding at full speed with the M1 Studio (compared with for instance older intel models) probably due to drives ... did you notice that?
Some of these third party plug-ins used (titles and effects) are pretty taxing. I can’t use them in older machines. As far as the external drives, I’ve tested these so many times and have several videos. These thunderbolt enclosures work just as well as internal SSD because these programs can only read and write so fast. Folks get hung up on the synthetic bench, but real world is another story. The read and write on the Studio is just as it has been on the MBP…and the M1 is just slightly slower. However I will say that the M1s TB throughput hasn’t been the same as Intel, but this is due to that communication protocol, the controllers and needing Intel Retimers to clean up that signal.
Thanks for this comparison Kev. Good to hear that you still love your M1 Mini. So do I. 😉 What are your thoughts about the Mac Studios having : - no hardware accelerated AV1 codec - just an SDXC and UHS-II card reader (no SDUC and no UHS-III) - just a HDMI 2.0 port (not HDMI 2.1)
I actually think that those features are a miss on this machine and they should be standard. There’s already enough differentiation between this and the mini, and this is something we should see on the pros, but if we don’t then I think there’s definitely reason to be upset, however I also understand that this is a manufacturing decision to keep this components streamlined.
@@KevinRossRN Yeah especially no hardware accelerated AV1 codec. While Intel 11th and 12th gen CPUs can (via integrated Iris Xe Graphics). Don't know about the efficiency though. I'm definitely not part of any target groups for the Pros, so it looks like I will be left out. Adding a card reader for faster SD cards with more capacity will be an easy fix.
Yeah, agree on this one. I will say though that having the mini and the studio definitely seems a little unnecessary…especially with the MBP. I still love that portability. I will seriously consider a pro though if they give us options for swapping out components.
@@KevinRossRN No Kev. Don't plant that Pro seed in the back of my head 😋. I need to make s decision between buying a M1 Max Studio now, or wait for a possible M1 Max Mini. My Mini will move into my testlab, if I would buy a Mac Studio now.
Replacing my 2013 4-Core Mac Pro "trashcan". The M1 Mac Mini is already more powerful. But was hoping for a spec bump at the last event. Instead we got the Studio which is an awesome machine. But my music production it is overkill. Will wait for mini spec bump and get one of those. Thank you!!!
@@Cryo837 After watching Kevin's video I have decided to delay my MS purchase and stick with my 16GB RAM Mac mini for a little longer. My recent works are much lighter and I just don't see any decent ROI with the jump.
My main 2019 main Windows PC it only chokes at 4K@120fps 4:2:2 H.265 real time. But if I optimize media, which makes a cache, it works perfectly. The 24-60fps ones work perfectly on DRS17.4.
@@KevinRossRN You sure? Not even the 4K@120fps 4:2:2 XAVC HS (H.265)? Or is that one just a slow motion version not realtime 280Mbps with audio? As seen this Mac Mini struggle with it. Overall, at its price point it's a steal for a studio/2nd PC!
I haven’t had issues with it in FCPX, however with Resolve I have, but I should also clarify on another codec, DJI footage specifically, and some GoPro footage, because it’s so compressed, the mini really needs to work, and it’ll drop frames. However, except for that RED Raw, the M1 Max’s video encoders are just phenomenal. There’s also been some incremental updates to FCPX since I got the mini in 2020 where I have seen some improvements with that 265 footage. But yeah, for the price, it’s just silly.
@@KevinRossRN Yeah I believe some videos I watched were a bit early, I guess, and DRS17.4 is pretty massive already. But seems like I'll pull the trigger for Mac Mini for my studio and have like 2021 55" Sony A80J OLED for display as I don't use monitors. But I would get an HDR-reference monitor later to start making nature 4K HDR videos ;). Overall, customers tend to like Apple products so it helps overall, and it's quite portable as well if I travel. I think if I optimize the real-time 280Mbps 4K@120fps H.265 footage then I should face no issues. It's already too much value for the pricetag. Mac Studio or a newer version might be my first departure from traditional desktops since 1996. Thanks for the insights and the great real-world review.
Yeah, you should be good with the mini, and keeping those expectations realistic will help, especially as you start adding effects, transitions and grading…but that Studio is going to be a beast for years to come.
great! it would be excellent maybe next time when using fcp or davinchi to see what ia editing like on these machines: like lagging when you apply corrections etc, otherwise Kevin great job!
Thanks! I’ll likely do a video on just showing what it’s like when adding corrections to each timeline. I had originally started to do that in this video, but then it would have been an hour long 🤣 But there were definitely some Titles/effects and transitions in these timelines that my older Intel machines couldn’t even work with.
Great review Kevin. I still haven’t seen my 13” M1 MacBook Pro to slow down much at all. I can only imagine how much effort it must take to get the new M1 studio to slow down to an unacceptable pace. Thanks for your efforts Kevin.
This is so helpful. I have an M1 mini and my only complaint is the 16GB of RAM limitation. Over the past 14 months of using it, I've had OS X throw an error with memory being completely used up 5 times, which is OK. As desktop, it rocks. I've thrown some workloads at it and never had issues. I have a more bursty processing workload as a software developer, so I think my next machine will be a 14" M1 Max for portability, and I should be covered. I was worried about fans blasting but based on what we're seeing with your more sustained processing workload being manageable, I should be fine.
Oh yeah, that MBP should definitely handle this and I ran a test in Xcode a couple months back and it was great. Although coding/development is definitely not my wheelhouse. But I run Windows or Linux in Parallels and often times flip over to the MacOS side to edit videos and photos without any issues.
Hi Kevin, I'm really enjoying your channel. Extensive REAL LIFE tests. I can care less about the exports and care more about the scrubbing , scaling images, keyframming, coloring , speedramping, playback etc. I think I've cancelled and ordered the Mac Studio at least 4 times. no joke. My work flow is Adobe Premiere, After Effects and Photoshop for Professional and Personal Projects. I have a iMac 2019 i9 3.6Ghz 8-Core 64GB RAM 1TB (working off thunderbolt 8TB RAID 0 SSD 2.5Gb/ Drive Enclosure )and bring it to its knees with my workflow. The RAM constantly swaps and compresses and the machine freezes/crashes at least 5 times per project. At the moment, I've narrowed it down to M1 Ultra 48GPU 128GB 4TB. Do you think this is overkill? I appreciate any feedback :)
Thanks! As far as Premiere, I do have it, and I should run more real world tests on these M1 machines, but haven’t had as much luck as I do on my PCs. I know other creators are using it without issue, and I need to circle back around with it, but I just didn’t have success with it, and likely due to some effects/transitions I was working with. I’m definitely not against Adobe because I use their products all the time, but I really wish they’d offer the community something more refined with these chips. I know they will, and I believe it will get better. The M1 Max, with those video encoders are really efficient. I mean, really. I have put timelines in other machines that as you said would bring the system to its knees, but the M1 Max just cuts it like butter. I know the Ultra but a tempting, but I’m not sure how much you’ll really get out of it seeing as we’re just now seeing updates that are supposed to take advantage of what it can really do, but the software (to me) doesn’t seem to have caught up yet. Just my nickel’s worth.
Thank you for posting. If I was buying today? Mac Studio entry level and maybe bump it up a little.. (just because). I however did get a Mac Mini M1 16Gb with 2Tb a year ago.. and not regretting it.. when I get a Mac Studio later this year or next, my mini will be my music desktop box (Logic/Komplete Kontrol) with about 1.5 Terrabytes of plugins…. So that’s fine.. I’m ok with that.. I hate having third party plugins on external drives.. (always losing them). But yes… the Studio is the Mac Mini I was hoping for. :)
Oh now that would be a nice setup for you. I agree that it’s nice to work off of these external drives and even have app libraries on there, but yeah. 1.5TBs of plug-ins would be easier to just have on the internal.
FANTASTIC! A real world test! I got the 16" m1pro laptop last November and I'm considering getting a Mac Studio M1max base for my desktop...I really hope it's a substantial upgrade over my 16"M1pro laptop (only 16gb ram). I use Sony a7iii and Sony A6400...similar to your footage and I don't want to transcode or use proxies. Some After Effects for sure but no blender or 3D really. 4K is the end of the road for me! No 8k or whatever is next for me! I cannot afford the M1 ultra or the Mac Studio display...thanks for your video-I think that I may get the studio m1max base in a few months.
Thank you for hanging out. The M1 Max is plenty of machine and it’ll have that extra video encoder over the pro. Hands down it is awesome for the price.
@@KevinRossRN this video is epic! Real world real time! yep...don't need those fancy Broll etc-I just need a real editor doing his stuff...the M1 is a nice one too but I think once you get better specs then the Mac Studio base looks good. The only thing I would add is more SSD space. I already have the rest- the display is awesome but nope. I wish Apple had fiven us a 27" or bigger imac with a m1max inside but by doing it like this they will get more sales-this studio mac plus monitor is almost $4k (cdn) for the base model...oh well...I prefer the all in one form for sure but my ancient imac 2013 is not good enough anymore. Thanks for the hard work...get some rest!
Hey Kevin, another test that could be interesting would be to compare the GPU performances of your 24-core GPU Mac Studio M1 MAX, with your 32-core GPU MBP M1 MAX. Maybe something like a GPU intense FX or process in Davinci Resolve, or other real life tests like that, not just the "Geekbench type" tests. I wonder if the 32-core GPU would just allow for a slightly faster process, or allow to do things that the 24-core GPU cannot do? Is a 32-core GPU also a good "future proofing" thing to have, or is it just a waste of money due to the sheer power of the GPUs in the M1 MAX? I think many like me comtemplating the Mac Studio base model are having these questions now. So many different possible Mac Studio configs, but sooo limited funds!!!
Yeah, I can try to run some additional GPU tests. I think this is where we’ve been hitting that limit in the MBP where the GPU isn’t necessarily working as hard, but it’s still bumping up against that thermal ceiling. I’m taking notes and researching this very testing (topic).
@@KevinRossRN Cool, will look at your test results for sure. Speaking of thermal ceiling / limiting the GPU, did you see that: Max Tech reported today that, the Mac Studio M1 MAX running a 100% CPU / intense graphic stress test actually showed that the GPU is limited at 73% despite a CPU temp of 60 degrees, and GPU temp of 43 degrees. Smells like intentional limitations(?)
I didn’t see this, but I wouldn’t be surprised that this is the case. I’ll follow up on it though. Appreciate you popping over with that little nugget.
Thanks so much for making this video comparison. It almost fully answered my questions and doubts. If I was still using the trash can I definitely would make the jump to this same mac studio model without a second thought. But based on what I have been doing recently (hugely scaled back) plus I already have a M1 mini with maxed out RAM, the jump may not seem as great from the ROI perspective. I may have to wait a little longer to save up a few more bucks to go for a spec'ed up model instead of the base model. So delayed purchase for me.
Hi Kevin. Great extensive test 👍 I’m just preparing some comparisons between the Max MacBook and the Ultra Studio, mostly video stuff with Resolve. I have to say that my initial impression of the Ultra Studio is somewhat underwhelming. While it is more powerful than the MacBook it definitely doesn’t scale as I’d expected and the MacBook is more impressive overall. So far, I’d have to say that the sweet spot is anything with the Max in it and maybe even just the 24 GPU cores. Again, great video. Cheers, Dave.
Yes, I agree that the 24-Core is likely the best value for your use case, especially if portability is what you need. Thanks for stopping by. Best of luck with that decision.
THANK YOU!!!! I am so SICK of RUclipsrs posting about benchmarks and export times like it's all that matters! I don't care how high the geekbench score is or how many minutes of export time you shave off by upgrading from the M1 to the M1 Ultra. I want to know what it is like to USE the device while editing or designing, so that I can actually buy the one that I need and not overspend on diminishing returns (for my workflow). I would give this a million thumbs up if I could!
Hey my friend, what a great video. (once again) Such an important test to do, what you just did for us. Really great! I am still under the impression that if you need a great desktop machine and just like you said, most will render their footage before working with it, the M1 mini is a god sendt gift to small businesses. As you know I use the R5 and I think I just used 8K once. Not even because I needed 8K but it was more of a "why the hell not"! I also have the urge and wanting to get the latest and the greatest, but the trut of the matter is, I don't work in news so rendering 5,10, or 30 minutes longer does not affect me that much. In the end I have a deal with a client either it is a fixed price for the project or I charge by the hour. What you are doing here with these videos is so important for everyone who need to be smart about their businesses and how to spend money. I hope you are doing well my friend?
Kim! Always good to see you and hang out for a bit here. Just trying to do my part. And yes, correct on all points. I’m rarely if at all under a deadline where a 20 minute export would break my workflow and meeting that deadline.
@@KevinRossRN Would you say that there is a longevity argument to be had for the base model Studio vs the mini? With more GPU and CPU cores, more base storage, and more Ram, would you say it might still be a better option to future proof even when the mini is as capable as it is? A decently upgraded mini is getting to the base price of the Studio and you STILL get more Ram than the Mini can get, you can use more monitors, and you get more ports. What do you think? I am genuinely torn between the two after looking at the cost of upgrades to a mini vs a significantly better Studio Max even at base specifications.
Yeah, well that’s what I was addressing in the video that if you consider any RAM upgrade, and if you throw in a decent dock to get more I/O, which can add another 200-300+ then you really are teasing that base model price. It is nice to have options such as pushing multiple displays and having more raw performance, but that is if you think you will actually be using it to that extent. But as an example let’s say you wanted to start out in video or photo. You could still get the mini with 16GBs of RAM and then a decent camera and lens for the same price as a studio. But that’s if you needed that camera and lens. Just an example though.
There you go. I usually walk away during the export, which it’s nice to see what those times are, but I don’t want to be walking away out of frustration because it won’t play back.
"cool as a cucumber" That's my new favorite saying. Very interesting video. If the M1 Mac Mini can handle multiple 4K streams and effects without problems then perhaps it is worth getting an upgraded one. The price difference from the Max Studio, if both are upgraded to say 2TB SSD, should be big enough, I think. Even with a 16GB of RAM.
Yeah, I mean keeping the expectations realistic with the mini is key, however aside from that raw 8K footage, it has performed time and time again. Once Apple updates that machine it’s going really just going to come down to price for most users because it’ll deliver on just about anything you’re trying to do.
Correct. The M2 is really going to be more about efficiency along with single core performance, and along with what we’re seeing in software updates, that machine is already eating into the “budget” category and it’ll continue to do so with that update.
First: Thank you for the video! Why is storage still so expensive? Even if you have the highest storage option it is still not enough. The software is perfect, the Photos App on Mac/IPhone makes it so easy to import the photos. But it is used so damn fast that you have to use external ssd etc. Imagine internal storage over 200 Terabyte. The world would make sense again :)
@@KevinRossRN Yes. I don't want to over-buy or under-buy. Your assessment was spot on, when you put 16G RAM on Mini you start to go near Mac Studio prices and that base model starts to look good. Is the Studio Max fan audible? I heard there is a hum, while the M1 mini is completely silent. That would make a difference imo.
Totally understand. And I have pretty good hearing and can’t appreciate a hum, although I will say that I also have a NAS box in the same space in the cabinet, so I wouldn’t say it’s completely silent in the office. I’ve heard others talking about users concerned about the fan noise. I wasn’t sure if it was just people trolling on forums, but I will be looking at what they’re doing to get these fans to spin up, but at idle, I don’t hear them.
Man you went to WORK here! Amazing stuff brother!
Dude, this one was a monster of a video to set up. I’m spent. 😩
Appreciate you though. You know what it takes 🤘
Yep, it's 30 minutes. Feel free to listen in the background or grab some snacks. We're behind the scenes on this one. If you decide to hang out, I appreciate your time.
30 mins of actually helpful information! Thank you for not posting just another benchmark fest.
Found your channel, and I must admit it's a fresh approach to all to sudo benchmark testing everyone else does on You Tube. Real world testing is what people want, and you have wisely filled that need perfectly. Great work, keep pumping out this kind of fantastic content and you will easily crack the 100K wall before you know it.
I appreciate you taking the time to be here. And, definitely appreciate the comment.
Once I get back to uploading again, it’s the road to 100 🚀
Watched your whole vid brother, and I appreciate all your hard work in putting this together!
Hey, really appreciate your time here. Really glad to help. 🤘
Cancelled my Studio order and bought a Mini. Very happy with it. For the difference of these two, i will buy the upcoming MacBook Air. I think this suits perfect for my needs, the Studio is overkill for me. This video confirms this. Thank you for the Great review. Instant fan !
Pleasure to be of service. Congrats on the mini. 🤘
I cancled my base studio as well will rock the m1 mini untill the studio m2 versions are coming out
That little mini seems to be the David to the Goliath…so to speak.
Omg u r so brave. I still can’t make a decision. I never used m1. I’m from the intel mac and I don’t do video editing. So I am trying to understand what spec should I go for with my need for 4 years. Enjoy the new Mac!
Any of the M1s will be a jump from Intel. Are you interested in portability or are you good with a desktop?
Hey Kevin, how about testing the Mac Studio M1 MAX Thunderbolt 4 ports with EXTERNAL SSDs to see if the controllers slows down the external SSD like on the M1 Mac Mini???
I know this is better on the 14-inch, but preliminary tests are telling me they’re better, but I need to dive in more on these tests rather than just synthetic benchmarks.
@@KevinRossRN Someone commented on YT that a T7 external SSD is AS SLOW on the Mac Studio M1 MAX than on the M1 Mac Mini... (both from slower front USB-C ports, and back TB4 ports of the Mac Studio M1 Max). I thought the Studio wouldn't have this limitation because it's a "prosumer" device, and not an entry level like M1 Mac Mini, but Apple thinks otherwise it seems... A detailed test would be ideal here. I'm looking at the base model Mac Studio with external SSDs to edit 4K 10-bit 422 log footage from my GH5, but I will wait now to see which external SSDs or SSD enclosures work best with the Mac Studio base model. Thanks for all the free content you put out Kevin!
So as far as those pre-built enclosures, they’re having a few issues as of late, which is too bad because they’re a great investment (usually).
I know that the Acasis and Samsung 980PRO are an awesome pair. One of my favs.
yesss, the video i've been waiting for! thank you!
Appreciate you friend. It took two days to really get this testing and BTS all set up and filmed.
Hi Kevin. Great test. Which performance tool did you use?
Thanks. iStat menus, TG Pro and MenuBar stats.
About the blender rendering: after doing it wrong (or rather, failing to do it rightly) for months, I found out that I wasn’t turning metal on under Blender->Edit->Preferences->System. So even though I was telling it to use the GPUs, it was not. Did you turn metal on in preferences for these tests?
Yeah, Metal is on. And, I’ve seen more offloading to the GPU than my previous tests. Before, there was barely any GPU usage. But, we’re also going to still see that CPU kick up as well…I’ll continue to test this further and doublecheck these benchmarks, however I really wanted to see if I could thermally throttle the machines…which that studio has so much headroom.
Can you do a video how to connect ultra wide to Mac Studio? There are some videos showing problems with connecting non-native monitors/peripherals to Apple's Mac Studio.
Yeah MacOS is really terrible in my opinion when it comes to monitors and the scaling issue, however this is one of the reasons I’ve stayed with this particular ultrawide, because it’s literally just plugged in and ready to roll with the correct aspect ratio.
I’ll have to look for those videos that are discussing this issue, and I did do a video awhile back on this subject, but are you referring specifically to the aspect ratio?
@@KevinRossRN not only aspect ratio but compatibility in general. I saw a video from another guy who had problems with LG34" too. Not sure what he did to make it worl but I do see many youtubers with the mac
Mini and LG ultra monitors. I've ordered a Mac Studio and lookkng at the LG40" thunderbolt 4 but I hardly see any reviews yet since it's only a few months on the market.
I believe Gary (the everyday dad) has that same monitor. If I’m not mistaken. He hasn’t reviewed officially but has been using it with his M1 machines without to much issue from what he’s shared.
Although he recently got the Studio Display and does say that it’s a better experience. Mostly due to the sleep/wake issues.
But as far as aspect ratio and color accuracy it was his main monitor until the Studio Display, which he had only been using the LG a couple of months.
@@KevinRossRN ok thanks for that info. I know his channel. I'll check with him and will ask for a review 🙂 thanksss
Yeah, he’s got it set up in several videos of I’m not mistaken, and most of us in the tech community hang out on Twitter and talk about what’s working and not, so if you see him over there you should be able to look in his feed where he talks about the display.
Brilliant stuff! Thanks:) Very helpful!
Glad to help. Appreciate your time.
Great info!
Have you tried ProRes Raw 4K on the M1 mini?
Thanks! And yes, both on the mini and MacBook Air. ProRes, although larger files, is where these machines really shine.
@@KevinRossRN That was fast!ProRes Raw? Really? And it handled well on the M1 Mini?
With FCPX, it’s great. These machines are optimized for this codec. Even more so with the M1 Max, but the M1 can handle it. Just get the 16GBs of RAM if you’re considering it.
@@KevinRossRN I already purchased a 16 GB ram version.
Sorry, but I have to ask one more time-
RAW ProRes 4K on a M1 mini?
RAW? That would be AWESOME!
Congrats. And ProRes being “Apple’s” codec should perform quite well. I took ARRI Alexa footage and transcoded it to ProRes. Granted it wasn’t Raw, but it was ProRes 4444HQ, and the MBA handled it.
But I’ve also worked with Raw, and others have been able to use it on their M1s as well. Honestly though you could transcode to 4444 and (in my opinion) still have quite a bit of data to work with when grading.
The M1 Max of course chews through it no problem because of the built in encoders.
what software are you using to see the cpu usage in final cut? great video btw.
Thanks! iStat Menus is one and MenuBar stars is the other.
Truly appreciate your insight on this one, Friend.
And I appreciate you being here. 🤘
On the Mac mini you used 16gb ram or 8 gb ram for this test ? Also how 512 SSD or 1T SSD ? Do you recommend the Mini for music production and photoshop editing for big Raw files ?
16GBs of RAM. And I’ve used Logic ProX without issue and photoshop also without problems and I do shoot in Raw.
Can you run a quick test for me? I would love to see how 8k raw red footage renders in fps as 8k prores. It’s a quick test because you can see the fps right after it’s submitted in the progress bar. My M1 mini renders in 3 fps. So hoping for many times that!! Thanks!!!
So just to clarify are you talking about transcoding Raw into ProRes?
@@KevinRossRN using the deliver page you can set it to render a clip at 8k resolution and it will as where to save it to the hard drive. As soon ad you submit the render it will give you the fps right away in the render progress bar. Does this make sense? Thanks again!!!
Hi Kevin, do you use h.264 or h.265 export for YT? And why? I am using h265 together with compressor on my MB Air 16GB M1…this is for Fujifilm X-T4 footage. Thanks 🙏
I use a compressed h.264 for YT. Even though YT says they support HEVC 265 I just find that the quality of the 264 is really good, and it processes almost immediately on YT.
Not to mention that it’s YT and most are watching on their mobile devices anyway.
@@KevinRossRN hmm maybe I need to retest everything but I like saving space and also the upload is faste as the file is smaller. I mostly upload to vimeo. I just noticed that instagram does better wit 264 ....or lets put it like this...the video playback on older devices is smoother ...265 can be choppy on older systems.
I you could export to 265 and see if there is a difference to the good old M1 that would be interesting. Although I am super happy with my MBAir. Thank you!
How big are the files you’re uploading? For a 10-15min video I’m usually in the 2-3GBs give or take. I’ve got another video I’m working on right now where I work through a multicam timeline that’s an hour long and it’s around 17GBs when exported.
@@KevinRossRN the compressed (h265 1080p) files are around 1 - 5 GB big ...most videos are 1,5 h some 3 h long... it's nothing fancy, mostly just talking head videos with simple cuts...but usually I do one / week ...so it adds onto my storage / backup needs and I wend from 4k down to 1080p again...to save space...and also Fujis 10bit 4.2.0 1080p looks very good, so there is no need for me to waste space...
Oh for sure. Storage space is the non exciting side of this business. I’m currently at around 50TBs and it’s about time a build a new NAS to try and double that for this next year 🤯
But 1080 for RUclips, especially with the right bit depth is just fine in my opinion. Fuji produces gorgeous footage.
Hey Kevin this video never reached my only just now, really hope we get to see a Mac mini with the M2, because the M2 in the new MacBook Air seems to throttle pretty fast from the other reviews so with some more cooling in the mini would be great what do you think
Yeah, this older video is getting pushed because of my latest video. I think the M2 in the mini would have been the better choice, but in my testing so far, with video editing, I haven’t gotten it to throttle. The M1 is still the better value right now.
Cool, great comparison. Thanks for the effort. Could you talk more about swapping and what potential consequences could it have on small SSDs in mini and studio?
I have discussed this on other videos and will say that (obviously) swap isn’t new, it’s just that these machines are so efficient that you don’t even notice it.
In my opinion I believe these SSDs have many years of life.
I was even a “victim” of the random read/write that occurred early on in Big Sur, but that did get resolved however I will say that it wrote many TBs of info.
Oh yes, and thanks for putting the vid out!
I think this vid put me out 🤣
So should i return my MBP M1 Pro 14" 16GB Ram 10 core 16 core gpu and just get the base studio ?
Do you need portability? Because my answer is typically that we’re paying for the convenience of having a machine on the go when it comes to any laptop.
@@KevinRossRN Gotcha thank you for making my decision an easy one.
You got it. Best of luck.
That’s good content! I’m waiting for mine to arrive and getting tired of seeing benchmark videos and numbers I don’t understand or care. I ordered the base model but upgraded the storage to 1tb. And this was the real world usage video I was looking for.
Thanks!
Hey, glad to help Henry. Folks around here know that synthetic benchmarks really only tell so much of the story. I run a few from time to time, but always add the real world stuff along with it.
Congrats on your machine.
By far, this is the most helpful and informative video I have viewed on Apple Silicon computers!
i returned my mac studio, i wasn't seeing the results in my workflow i was expecting, over my 16gb mac mini.not enough to justify keeping a $2,000 computer. however, I did end up getting the studio display. its really nice an im still hopeful for a 27'' imac
Oh bummer. Yeah, I mean it can be a tough leap from the mini. And agree that the display really is stunning.
Thank you. That was excellent. My only device is a Gen 3 iPad Pro 12.9 inch so any of these would be an enormous improvement for me. I’ll either be going with a refurb/used Mac Mini if I find a great deal or a base model Studio. Thanks again. 👍🏻
Hey, thank you for your time. The mini or the studio would be great, just depends on your specific needs. 👍
man, what a GREAT job you did. Thank you!
Thanks so much. Appreciate your time here.
Is M1 Max Studio (32 core GPU) more powerful than M1 Max MacBook Pro (32 core GPU) because of better cooling and no battery limitations ? I am deciding between Studio and MacBook and this answer would be helpful :)
It really comes down to thermals. It seems the 24 core GPU is working “harder” than the 32-core, but really that MBP hits the ceiling, which is what limits it. However, what I will say is that between 24 and 32 on the studio, you might be looking at seconds instead of minutes…just my take. However I will say that the 32-core for some gaming seems to help, even though gaming on a Mac is “controversial” 😏
@@KevinRossRN Really appreciate your answer, u have a sub :)
Great to have you here. Look forward to bumping into you again. 😉🤘
Cool my man thanks for the hard work, appreciated it totally...stay safe
And same to you. Sending my best.
I will be very grateful if you help me. I do lives on youtube and use Ecamm Live, but I want to start broadcasts on Instagram using OBS Studio simultaneously. I'm in doubt whether to buy the Mac mini 16gb or the Mas Studio. Would you help me? Is the Mac mini capable of making 2 simultaneous transmissions and using Keynote in parallel, as well as other peripherals such as the stream deck and 2 cameras connected to the capture cards?
I’ve definitely run multiple cams on the mini while streaming, although I haven’t tried to run OBS and something like Ecamm or Streamyard separately. I’ll have to look into that.
@@KevinRossRN Thanks! Try it, and pehaps Make a vídeo. 💪🏼
Yep, let me see if I can make that happen. 🤘
In terms of longevity of hardware, would the MacBook Pro (with lesser cooling) have a shorter lifespan than a Mac Studio (with better cooling)? I do 90% of my video editing on a desk, but am attracted by the idea of not spending that much more to get a MBP 14" for occasional overseas travel. But if I get the MBP, it'd mean using it attached to a monitor, with keyboard and mouse attached, with it closed shut. I'm guessing the MBP would be subject to more heat-stress in that closed configuration. What do you think?
Well laptops in general typically have a shorter lifespan as there are more moving parts to break or wear out.
It really does come down to wanting that portability. And even though I do a lot of work on the desk, I still use the MBP around the house and in the car when I’m waiting on my kids at soccer practice (or whatever). So for me the portability is very nice.
But there’s also maintenance. I can pop the bottom off the MBP and blow out those fans to keep the cooling functioning as it was designed whereas the studio, although you can take it apart, there still may be some limitations for most to blow the dust out.
But hands down the Studio is a really good deal in my opinion. It’s a lot of money to spend for just about anyone, but this is likely going to serve the user for years to come.
Great review. I also ordered Mac Studio Max base model (1Tb ssd though). You said, in the end, that it was running quite cool, but how was fan noise? There is some talk in internet that Studio Max fan can be quite noisy even with idle? Not sure if that is true or not, and everyone sure has own opinion what is noisy or not. :)
I meant to weigh in on this. I couldn’t hear the fan. It never spun up over 1400RPM. I’m not sure what’s happening with those other machines, but this thing is quiet.
@@KevinRossRN Thanks, great to hear that was not issue in your case. I think I'm happy with Studio Max when I get my unit.
Looking forward to hearing what you think when you’re able to test it. It’s a fun little machine.
Awesomeness. Truly appreciate your work and insights. I'd have to agree if there is a need to upgrade the mini then the base model studio would be the sound over time well worth the expense option. I took the same approach with the air. If I'm upgrading the 8 core ram and increasing the drive I might as well level up to the pro 14". Thanks for all you do. Continue
Thanks for being here friend. Appreciate your time.
Hi, could you please test the performance of the mac studio vs Mac mini with this software (topaz video enhance ai) which requires a lot of resources from my graphics card (AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT 16 GB) from my imac 2020 (3.6 GHz Intel Core i9 10 cores). Best Regards
Oh that’s a new request. Let me research that one.🤘
Great video Kevin! Im deciding between 32/64gb and 24/32cores. I work with Davinci (if im correct, you use PP?) and lightroom/PS. My camera at the moment is A73, but I do plan to upgrade it to either s3 or if something new comes in next two years (right now I prefer to upgrade my old gtx1060 laptop and camera later). From what I've seen, your base model of studio works great, but what do you think, will there be much of a difference with 32cores & 64gb of ram?
As far as Resolve, it is awesome on these M1s. I primarily use FCPX, but Resolve as well.
As far as PP, if this were my primary NLE, I’d likely be still rocking a PC for that. I actually have a PC that use with PP. I know others have had success with it on the M1, but I just haven’t. Maybe I’m using it wrong 🤷♂️
But I do use LR and PS and I haven’t had a single issue on this base model so far, but it’s still early of course. Those programs are RAM hungry, but the swap on these machines are brilliant.
The 32-Core on the studio would likely beat out the MBP just because of the thermals, but honestly, I don’t think by much.
Also, I think 32GBs of RAM is plenty for most, however if you want to run multiple VMs, doing some development or some really heavy tasks, like heavier than what I showed you, then if you have the budget, it might be a worthy upgrade.
But this base model has years ahead where it will perform. In my opinion of course.
@@KevinRossRN thanks for response buddy. No, my main goal for Mac studio usage is Davinci for video (full editing, including coloring, fusion,...) and PS/LR. Nothing else, for other things I still have PC (FPV sim,etc).
Yeah, you’d be fine with base, honestly.
@@KevinRossRN appreciate! 😊
Show me 6 stream of hour long 4k xavcs sony a7s3 footage with LUTS and grain in a multicam clip por favor :D
Piece of cake. I’ll tackle that one. 😉🤘
@@KevinRossRN I have a week to decide if to dump my Ultra and go Max. I’m a little concerned that it’s not worth it but it could also be we need the new final cut version with optimizations…
@@KevinRossRN oh and thank you!
If you’re cutting in FCPX then the Max should be able to handle that. I’ve done some silly timelines on the MBP.
You doing doc style work with those long edits?
@@KevinRossRN Yeah, doc wedding edits and occasional 30 min corporate interviews. 5 streams of 4k with LUTs, and corrections, and grain can add up. Currently have to stick with 1080 for a managable experience. Playing the multicam in 2x speed would also be actual use case for me as it helps save time.
Also had some simple 4 minute stuff, with iMockups3D and it made my machine crawl.
I've been wondering if my external Sandisk V2 Pro SSD will be able to deliver for the Multicams.
Currently XAVCS 4k 60 from my A7IV does not play well at all, even off my sandisk.
Benchmarks and basic scrubbing is great but multicam with luts, noise reduction, grain added, color corrections, audio with compressor and noise reduction all at the same time is what I am after, as well as if your external SSD solutions keep up.
Thanks again for your consideration!
interesting comparison. I would have liked some processes that are more taxing on the GPU even in 4K, like more complex transitions or layer blending, as this is really a problem for playback with the base M1 ... for instance knowing the limit of the Mac Studio and when it starts to drop frames.
On another issue, someone pointed on another channel that external drives were not responding at full speed with the M1 Studio (compared with for instance older intel models) probably due to drives ... did you notice that?
Some of these third party plug-ins used (titles and effects) are pretty taxing. I can’t use them in older machines.
As far as the external drives, I’ve tested these so many times and have several videos. These thunderbolt enclosures work just as well as internal SSD because these programs can only read and write so fast.
Folks get hung up on the synthetic bench, but real world is another story.
The read and write on the Studio is just as it has been on the MBP…and the M1 is just slightly slower.
However I will say that the M1s TB throughput hasn’t been the same as Intel, but this is due to that communication protocol, the controllers and needing Intel Retimers to clean up that signal.
finally a real video case scenario with what we really have to know how the timeline plays back.
Just doing my part.
Trying to anyway. 🤘
Legit control. You didn't even use the MOTU to simply record this audio on QuickTime.
Nah, not on this one. Love that MOTU though. Don’t get me wrong.
nice job
Thanks! 🤘
Thanks for this comparison Kev. Good to hear that you still love your M1 Mini. So do I. 😉
What are your thoughts about the Mac Studios having :
- no hardware accelerated AV1 codec
- just an SDXC and UHS-II card reader (no SDUC and no UHS-III)
- just a HDMI 2.0 port (not HDMI 2.1)
I actually think that those features are a miss on this machine and they should be standard. There’s already enough differentiation between this and the mini, and this is something we should see on the pros, but if we don’t then I think there’s definitely reason to be upset, however I also understand that this is a manufacturing decision to keep this components streamlined.
@@KevinRossRN Yeah especially no hardware accelerated AV1 codec. While Intel 11th and 12th gen CPUs can (via integrated Iris Xe Graphics). Don't know about the efficiency though. I'm definitely not part of any target groups for the Pros, so it looks like I will be left out. Adding a card reader for faster SD cards with more capacity will be an easy fix.
Yeah, agree on this one. I will say though that having the mini and the studio definitely seems a little unnecessary…especially with the MBP. I still love that portability.
I will seriously consider a pro though if they give us options for swapping out components.
@@KevinRossRN No Kev. Don't plant that Pro seed in the back of my head 😋. I need to make s decision between buying a M1 Max Studio now, or wait for a possible M1 Max Mini. My Mini will move into my testlab, if I would buy a Mac Studio now.
Ha! I mean if you plant the seed now, it’ll grow a lot sooner🌱 Just saying
Wow impressive, keep up the good work
Thanks! I laid it all out on this one. 😴
Very interesting comparison. I agree the Mac Studio basic is the absolute best bang for the buck.
For sure. This thing is going to keep selling.
Replacing my 2013 4-Core Mac Pro "trashcan". The M1 Mac Mini is already more powerful. But was hoping for a spec bump at the last event. Instead we got the Studio which is an awesome machine. But my music production it is overkill. Will wait for mini spec bump and get one of those. Thank you!!!
Yeah, you really need that single core performance, is that right?
@@KevinRossRN Already saw all the Logic Pro performance tests last year and M1 Mac Mini is perfect for music. Just being greedy about a speed bump.
Ha! We always want just a little more, right? 😉
@@Cryo837 After watching Kevin's video I have decided to delay my MS purchase and stick with my 16GB RAM Mac mini for a little longer. My recent works are much lighter and I just don't see any decent ROI with the jump.
Hey, glad to save you a little coin.
My main 2019 main Windows PC it only chokes at 4K@120fps 4:2:2 H.265 real time. But if I optimize media, which makes a cache, it works perfectly. The 24-60fps ones work perfectly on DRS17.4.
Yeah, optimizing that media helps. I’ve never had to do it on these M1s with 4K. It was just the ARRI Alexa footage and the RED.
@@KevinRossRN You sure? Not even the 4K@120fps 4:2:2 XAVC HS (H.265)? Or is that one just a slow motion version not realtime 280Mbps with audio? As seen this Mac Mini struggle with it. Overall, at its price point it's a steal for a studio/2nd PC!
I haven’t had issues with it in FCPX, however with Resolve I have, but I should also clarify on another codec, DJI footage specifically, and some GoPro footage, because it’s so compressed, the mini really needs to work, and it’ll drop frames. However, except for that RED Raw, the M1 Max’s video encoders are just phenomenal.
There’s also been some incremental updates to FCPX since I got the mini in 2020 where I have seen some improvements with that 265 footage.
But yeah, for the price, it’s just silly.
@@KevinRossRN Yeah I believe some videos I watched were a bit early, I guess, and DRS17.4 is pretty massive already. But seems like I'll pull the trigger for Mac Mini for my studio and have like 2021 55" Sony A80J OLED for display as I don't use monitors. But I would get an HDR-reference monitor later to start making nature 4K HDR videos ;).
Overall, customers tend to like Apple products so it helps overall, and it's quite portable as well if I travel. I think if I optimize the real-time 280Mbps 4K@120fps H.265 footage then I should face no issues. It's already too much value for the pricetag. Mac Studio or a newer version might be my first departure from traditional desktops since 1996.
Thanks for the insights and the great real-world review.
Yeah, you should be good with the mini, and keeping those expectations realistic will help, especially as you start adding effects, transitions and grading…but that Studio is going to be a beast for years to come.
Thanks for the great review. In other reviews, the Ultra also seems to be having the same issues with dropped frames during playback.
Dropped frames with 8K or was it 4K footage?
great! it would be excellent maybe next time when using fcp or davinchi to see what ia editing like on these machines: like lagging when you apply corrections etc, otherwise Kevin great job!
Thanks! I’ll likely do a video on just showing what it’s like when adding corrections to each timeline. I had originally started to do that in this video, but then it would have been an hour long 🤣
But there were definitely some Titles/effects and transitions in these timelines that my older Intel machines couldn’t even work with.
@@KevinRossRN This!!! It would be the ULTIMATE video as it is my biggest point of decision
I am loving the mini 😍
Me too. And glad you are as well.
Great review Kevin. I still haven’t seen my 13” M1 MacBook Pro to slow down much at all. I can only imagine how much effort it must take to get the new M1 studio to slow down to an unacceptable pace.
Thanks for your efforts Kevin.
That’s correct. I don’t think this thing will thermal throttle. At least from what I can see.
This is so helpful. I have an M1 mini and my only complaint is the 16GB of RAM limitation. Over the past 14 months of using it, I've had OS X throw an error with memory being completely used up 5 times, which is OK. As desktop, it rocks. I've thrown some workloads at it and never had issues. I have a more bursty processing workload as a software developer, so I think my next machine will be a 14" M1 Max for portability, and I should be covered. I was worried about fans blasting but based on what we're seeing with your more sustained processing workload being manageable, I should be fine.
Oh yeah, that MBP should definitely handle this and I ran a test in Xcode a couple months back and it was great. Although coding/development is definitely not my wheelhouse.
But I run Windows or Linux in Parallels and often times flip over to the MacOS side to edit videos and photos without any issues.
Hi Kevin, I'm really enjoying your channel. Extensive REAL LIFE tests. I can care less about the exports and care more about the scrubbing , scaling images, keyframming, coloring , speedramping, playback etc. I think I've cancelled and ordered the Mac Studio at least 4 times. no joke. My work flow is Adobe Premiere, After Effects and Photoshop for Professional and Personal Projects. I have a iMac 2019 i9 3.6Ghz 8-Core 64GB RAM 1TB (working off thunderbolt 8TB RAID 0 SSD 2.5Gb/ Drive Enclosure )and bring it to its knees with my workflow. The RAM constantly swaps and compresses and the machine freezes/crashes at least 5 times per project. At the moment, I've narrowed it down to M1 Ultra 48GPU 128GB 4TB. Do you think this is overkill? I appreciate any feedback :)
Thanks! As far as Premiere, I do have it, and I should run more real world tests on these M1 machines, but haven’t had as much luck as I do on my PCs.
I know other creators are using it without issue, and I need to circle back around with it, but I just didn’t have success with it, and likely due to some effects/transitions I was working with.
I’m definitely not against Adobe because I use their products all the time, but I really wish they’d offer the community something more refined with these chips.
I know they will, and I believe it will get better.
The M1 Max, with those video encoders are really efficient. I mean, really. I have put timelines in other machines that as you said would bring the system to its knees, but the M1 Max just cuts it like butter.
I know the Ultra but a tempting, but I’m not sure how much you’ll really get out of it seeing as we’re just now seeing updates that are supposed to take advantage of what it can really do, but the software (to me) doesn’t seem to have caught up yet.
Just my nickel’s worth.
@@KevinRossRN Thank you for the quick response. ::crossing fingers:: on future optimizations lol. Keep up the good work. I've subbed :)
Look forward to seeing you around. Glad to have you here.
Can hardly wait to see what you do with the ultra
I’m afraid of what it might do to me 💀
Thank you for posting. If I was buying today? Mac Studio entry level and maybe bump it up a little.. (just because). I however did get a Mac Mini M1 16Gb with 2Tb a year ago.. and not regretting it.. when I get a Mac Studio later this year or next, my mini will be my music desktop box (Logic/Komplete Kontrol) with about 1.5 Terrabytes of plugins…. So that’s fine.. I’m ok with that.. I hate having third party plugins on external drives.. (always losing them). But yes… the Studio is the Mac Mini I was hoping for. :)
Oh now that would be a nice setup for you. I agree that it’s nice to work off of these external drives and even have app libraries on there, but yeah. 1.5TBs of plug-ins would be easier to just have on the internal.
FANTASTIC! A real world test! I got the 16" m1pro laptop last November and I'm considering getting a Mac Studio M1max base for my desktop...I really hope it's a substantial upgrade over my 16"M1pro laptop (only 16gb ram). I use Sony a7iii and Sony A6400...similar to your footage and I don't want to transcode or use proxies. Some After Effects for sure but no blender or 3D really.
4K is the end of the road for me! No 8k or whatever is next for me! I cannot afford the M1 ultra or the Mac Studio display...thanks for your video-I think that I may get the studio m1max base in a few months.
Thank you for hanging out. The M1 Max is plenty of machine and it’ll have that extra video encoder over the pro. Hands down it is awesome for the price.
@@KevinRossRN this video is epic! Real world real time! yep...don't need those fancy Broll etc-I just need a real editor doing his stuff...the M1 is a nice one too but I think once you get better specs then the Mac Studio base looks good. The only thing I would add is more SSD space. I already have the rest- the display is awesome but nope. I wish Apple had fiven us a 27" or bigger imac with a m1max inside but by doing it like this they will get more sales-this studio mac plus monitor is almost $4k (cdn) for the base model...oh well...I prefer the all in one form for sure but my ancient imac 2013 is not good enough anymore. Thanks for the hard work...get some rest!
Yep, I agree on those points for sure. Great to see you here friend and I really do appreciate your time.
I’m about to get some rest on the slopes 🏂🏔
@@KevinRossRN enjoy! Take care
You as well. 👊
Hey Kevin, another test that could be interesting would be to compare the GPU performances of your 24-core GPU Mac Studio M1 MAX, with your 32-core GPU MBP M1 MAX. Maybe something like a GPU intense FX or process in Davinci Resolve, or other real life tests like that, not just the "Geekbench type" tests. I wonder if the 32-core GPU would just allow for a slightly faster process, or allow to do things that the 24-core GPU cannot do? Is a 32-core GPU also a good "future proofing" thing to have, or is it just a waste of money due to the sheer power of the GPUs in the M1 MAX? I think many like me comtemplating the Mac Studio base model are having these questions now. So many different possible Mac Studio configs, but sooo limited funds!!!
Yeah, I can try to run some additional GPU tests. I think this is where we’ve been hitting that limit in the MBP where the GPU isn’t necessarily working as hard, but it’s still bumping up against that thermal ceiling.
I’m taking notes and researching this very testing (topic).
@@KevinRossRN Cool, will look at your test results for sure. Speaking of thermal ceiling / limiting the GPU, did you see that: Max Tech reported today that, the Mac Studio M1 MAX running a 100% CPU / intense graphic stress test actually showed that the GPU is limited at 73% despite a CPU temp of 60 degrees, and GPU temp of 43 degrees. Smells like intentional limitations(?)
I didn’t see this, but I wouldn’t be surprised that this is the case. I’ll follow up on it though. Appreciate you popping over with that little nugget.
@@KevinRossRN ;o) ruclips.net/video/uI3iJFPQca0/видео.html
Thanks so much for making this video comparison. It almost fully answered my questions and doubts.
If I was still using the trash can I definitely would make the jump to this same mac studio model without a second thought. But based on what I have been doing recently (hugely scaled back) plus I already have a M1 mini with maxed out RAM, the jump may not seem as great from the ROI perspective.
I may have to wait a little longer to save up a few more bucks to go for a spec'ed up model instead of the base model. So delayed purchase for me.
Yeah if you already have M1 then you know it’s power. I wouldn’t necessarily say the studio is an “upgrade” to the mini.
Appreciate your time here.
Mini is a monster :)
You got that right.
Hi Kevin. Great extensive test 👍 I’m just preparing some comparisons between the Max MacBook and the Ultra Studio, mostly video stuff with Resolve. I have to say that my initial impression of the Ultra Studio is somewhat underwhelming. While it is more powerful than the MacBook it definitely doesn’t scale as I’d expected and the MacBook is more impressive overall. So far, I’d have to say that the sweet spot is anything with the Max in it and maybe even just the 24 GPU cores. Again, great video. Cheers, Dave.
Yes, I agree that the 24-Core is likely the best value for your use case, especially if portability is what you need.
Thanks for stopping by. Best of luck with that decision.
THANK YOU!!!! I am so SICK of RUclipsrs posting about benchmarks and export times like it's all that matters! I don't care how high the geekbench score is or how many minutes of export time you shave off by upgrading from the M1 to the M1 Ultra. I want to know what it is like to USE the device while editing or designing, so that I can actually buy the one that I need and not overspend on diminishing returns (for my workflow). I would give this a million thumbs up if I could!
BTW, YOU are the true rockstar! This was the most helpful video comparing the Apple Silicon devices that I have seen so far.
Well I’m just glad I was able to help those that needed it to be able to have more information on that buying decision.
Thanks for your time.
Hey my friend, what a great video. (once again) Such an important test to do, what you just did for us. Really great! I am still under the impression that if you need a great desktop machine and just like you said, most will render their footage before working with it, the M1 mini is a god sendt gift to small businesses. As you know I use the R5 and I think I just used 8K once. Not even because I needed 8K but it was more of a "why the hell not"! I also have the urge and wanting to get the latest and the greatest, but the trut of the matter is, I don't work in news so rendering 5,10, or 30 minutes longer does not affect me that much. In the end I have a deal with a client either it is a fixed price for the project or I charge by the hour. What you are doing here with these videos is so important for everyone who need to be smart about their businesses and how to spend money. I hope you are doing well my friend?
Kim! Always good to see you and hang out for a bit here. Just trying to do my part.
And yes, correct on all points. I’m rarely if at all under a deadline where a 20 minute export would break my workflow and meeting that deadline.
@@KevinRossRN Would you say that there is a longevity argument to be had for the base model Studio vs the mini?
With more GPU and CPU cores, more base storage, and more Ram, would you say it might still be a better option to future proof even when the mini is as capable as it is?
A decently upgraded mini is getting to the base price of the Studio and you STILL get more Ram than the Mini can get, you can use more monitors, and you get more ports.
What do you think?
I am genuinely torn between the two after looking at the cost of upgrades to a mini vs a significantly better Studio Max even at base specifications.
Yeah, well that’s what I was addressing in the video that if you consider any RAM upgrade, and if you throw in a decent dock to get more I/O, which can add another 200-300+ then you really are teasing that base model price.
It is nice to have options such as pushing multiple displays and having more raw performance, but that is if you think you will actually be using it to that extent.
But as an example let’s say you wanted to start out in video or photo. You could still get the mini with 16GBs of RAM and then a decent camera and lens for the same price as a studio. But that’s if you needed that camera and lens.
Just an example though.
🔥🔥🔥💯
At last. 4K Playback comparison, which is the most important, who cares about the export times.
There you go. I usually walk away during the export, which it’s nice to see what those times are, but I don’t want to be walking away out of frustration because it won’t play back.
"cool as a cucumber" That's my new favorite saying.
Very interesting video. If the M1 Mac Mini can handle multiple 4K streams and effects without problems then perhaps it is worth getting an upgraded one. The price difference from the Max Studio, if both are upgraded to say 2TB SSD, should be big enough, I think. Even with a 16GB of RAM.
Yeah, I mean keeping the expectations realistic with the mini is key, however aside from that raw 8K footage, it has performed time and time again. Once Apple updates that machine it’s going really just going to come down to price for most users because it’ll deliver on just about anything you’re trying to do.
@@KevinRossRN By updates it you mean the M2 or M1 Pro or something chip, or are you referring to a software update? I assume the first.
Correct. The M2 is really going to be more about efficiency along with single core performance, and along with what we’re seeing in software updates, that machine is already eating into the “budget” category and it’ll continue to do so with that update.
@@KevinRossRN Hopefully you are correct. Even if I won't be able to afford one, I like tech and I like progress. Thanks for the replies!
You bet. Glad to hang out.
First: Thank you for the video!
Why is storage still so expensive? Even if you have the highest storage option it is still not enough. The software is perfect, the Photos App on Mac/IPhone makes it so easy to import the photos. But it is used so damn fast that you have to use external ssd etc. Imagine internal storage over 200 Terabyte. The world would make sense again :)
Ha! Sign me up for a 200TB SSD. Although I suppose that would be a massive failure if it goes out on me.
Great to see you.
Im not even an editor and I watched the whole video and loved it. Thanks for all the work. Appreciate it. Love that little Mini!
Wow, thanks for your time! Really appreciate you hanging out with all of us here. Are you still in the market for a new computer?
@@KevinRossRN Yes. I don't want to over-buy or under-buy. Your assessment was spot on, when you put 16G RAM on Mini you start to go near Mac Studio prices and that base model starts to look good. Is the Studio Max fan audible? I heard there is a hum, while the M1 mini is completely silent. That would make a difference imo.
Totally understand. And I have pretty good hearing and can’t appreciate a hum, although I will say that I also have a NAS box in the same space in the cabinet, so I wouldn’t say it’s completely silent in the office.
I’ve heard others talking about users concerned about the fan noise. I wasn’t sure if it was just people trolling on forums, but I will be looking at what they’re doing to get these fans to spin up, but at idle, I don’t hear them.