I switched to M4 Mac Studio from a Windows PC – and wish I had done it sooner

ZDNET’s key takeaways

It goes without saying that Apple has firmly cemented itself as the premiere brand for creative professionals. Industry-level software, like Final Cut Pro, is often the top preference for creatives, and Apple Silicon allows users to harness these tools to their full potential. I’ve just spent the last two weeks with the new Mac Studio, and can confidently say that the company’s reign will likely continue for the next few years.

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I shared my firsthand experience with the 2025 Mac Studio in a recent piece, and much of my opinion has remained the same. I’m a big fan of the Studio’s relatively compact design, which is perfect for my small desk. It looks identical to the M2 Ultra Mac Studio from 2023. While the tech giant didn’t change anything on the surface level — all major updates are internal — I’m perfectly content with that.

The Mac Studio has six Thunderbolt 5 ports (two in the front and four around the back) to support features such as quick data transfers and power delivery. Alongside them are a 10GB Ethernet, an HDMI input, and a pair of USB-A ports, just to name a few. Six Thunderbolt ports are plenty for most people, although some may find the rest too limiting. That’s why I recommend looking into docking stations to expand your options, especially if your workflow demands multiple screens and external accessories.

Powering my review unit was the M4 Max, an SoC (system on a chip) that debuted in late 2024 on the MacBook Pro. Apple boasted it was “the most powerful chip for a Pro laptop,” and it’s undoubtedly impressive. I would argue it’s even more impressive onboard the Mac Studio.

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As part of testing, I threw the kitchen sink at the Mac Studio. I installed several editing and art apps (such as Krita and GIMP), watched Netflix, and ran 50 tabs on Safari. Nothing slowed it down; the hardware handled everything perfectly.

Benchmark tests provided deeper insight into a chipset’s performance, and the results were fascinating in this instance. Below is a table comparing Geekbench results between the new Mac Studio, the M2 Ultra Mac Studio, and the M4 Max MacBook Pro. The latter two rank among the top of the program’s leaderboards, and as you can see, the new desktop delivers much better processing power overall.

However, in terms of graphical output, the 2025 Mac Studio falls slightly behind — not enough for most people to notice. Alongside this model is the new M3 Ultra Mac Studio, which performs better than the base unit. I didn’t have the opportunity to try out this other model, but according to Apple, the M3 Ultra is nearly twice as fast as the M4 Max when tackling heavy workloads.

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Me being me, I couldn’t help but play video games on the Mac Studio. Mac computers, as a whole, don’t really have a strong gaming presence, although in recent years, the tech giant has made advancements to Apple Silicon chips allowing support for certain titles. Hades 2 on Steam is one of the few in this limited library and plays phenomenally. 

I can’t give all the entertainment credit to just the Mac Studio. Apple included a Studio Display with my review unit and played a big role during testing. This 27-inch 5K (5,120 x 2,850 pixels) Retina monitor supports a billion different colors and has a maximum brightness level of 600 nits. Inside is a powerful six-speaker system that shocked me with how loud it could get. 

The high-resolution screen, combined with the immersive audio, created an engrossing experience I won’t soon forget. I don’t think the Mac Studio would’ve been as impressive if it weren’t for the supporting accessories,

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Despite all the improvements, the 2025 Mac Studio still has the same issues as the M2 Ultra model. It offers few customization options nor does it come with any accessories. You’ll have to purchase things like a Magic Mouse separately. Unless you already own those accessories, the inherent lack can make switching from Windows to Mac an expensive endeavor.

ZDNET’s buying advice 

The base M4 Max Mac Studio costs $1,999. You can buy a better version with a 14-core CPU and a 40-core GPU for $2,299. This model is more than enough for the vast majority of use cases, and $2,000 is not too shabby for what you get.

However, if you have specialized needs that require more powerful hardware, Apple sells the M3 Ultra Mac Studio for twice the price at $3,999. Personally, I can’t imagine anyone outside of a select group needing the power of the M3 Ultra, but you certainly have the option if your workflow ever demands it.