This is why the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra weighs 2 pounds more than the M1 Max

Mahmoud Itani

XDA Developers


This is why the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra weighs 2 pounds more than the M1 Max

Apple revealed the all-new Mac Studio during its Peek Performance event earlier this week. This latest desktop computer from the company is a unique addition to the Mac lineup — despite it featuring some familiar elements. For example, while it looks like two stacked Mac Minis, it is powered by a freshly-introduced M1 Ultra chip. If this SoC is too powerful for your needs, Apple is also selling an M1 Max version of it. Despite the two variants of this powerhouse looking identical, the Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra weighs two pounds more than that with the M1 Max.

Many people are wondering — why would the M1 Ultra model weigh almost a kilogram more? For those who are unfamiliar with the matter, the M1 Ultra chip is basically two M1 Max chips. Obviously, the chip doesn’t weigh two pounds, and the chassis design is the same on both Macs. In an email to The Verge, an Apple spokesperson has spilled the beans.

They have the same 370W power supply. The additional weight is due to M1 Ultra having a larger copper thermal module, whereas M1 Max has an aluminum heatsink.

As the statement mentions, Apple is using different metals for the cooling systems on different Mac Studio models. That of the M1 Max utilizes Aluminum, while that of the M1 Ultra goes for Copper. Considering the latter chip is significantly more powerful, the company had to rethink the cooling system. That’s to make sure it doesn’t overheat or throttle the performance of the computer. With Aluminum being lighter than Copper, M1 Max Mac Studio users get a machine that weighs around a kilogram less than the M1 Ultra variant — 2.7 kg and 3.6 kg respectively.

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