The GetDPI Photography Forum
Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!
M1 Ultra
- Thread starter JeffK
- Start date
Ray Harrison
Well-known member
Actually, the current files from the 151mp back work very well on the 64gb M1 Max. There would still be a lot of headroom with a 220+mp back too. I think the M1 Ultra is quite the beast, certainly for the price.
Idk it seemed to check enough boxes for me at a lower cost than the current Mac Pro and more power than the current Mac mini….I think that was the point?
128gb unified memory is probably enough for me. Hell the MBP I’m on now is only 32gb ram with an intel chip so it will be a step up from that.
I wish moving to 8tb internal storage was less than $2k usd though.
128gb unified memory is probably enough for me. Hell the MBP I’m on now is only 32gb ram with an intel chip so it will be a step up from that.
I wish moving to 8tb internal storage was less than $2k usd though.
Mexecutioner
Well-known member
I can’t understand your disappointment. Do you know how unified memory works and understand the architecture of this new machine?
There‘s people using this computer to do far more advanced stuff than opening an IQ4 file with those measly 128GB. I’m talking advanced particle simulation rendering, ray tracing and fabric animation.
You can get a 7,1 with 1.5TB RAM if that suits you, but it won’t be faster. How many gigs of RAM does your current machine have? How does it handle the 260? RAM is not everything.
Paul Spinnler
Well-known member
I have no issues handling IQ4 150 on an M1 MB Air with 16 GB ram. In fact, I run Photoshop on that little MB which can edit these files natively with many layer adjustments. I think the poster lacks experience with the new architecture and the performance gains it entailed.
The M1 Ultra will be more than powerful enough IMHO.
The M1 Ultra will be more than powerful enough IMHO.
KC_2020
Active member
Unless you've worked with one of the new Macs using their silicon you really can't understand how much less RAM is needed. Apple has changed the SOC architectural significantly. Old school conceptions about clock speed and RAM no longer apply.
GrahamWelland
Subscriber & Workshop Member
I bought into the M1 Max MBP with 64GB ram and it is awesome. The M1 ultra Mac Studio does however seem to be a significantly powerful option for home use vs travel. I don't buy huge internal SSDs because for my needs my external storage handles the large storage requirements and 1TB is more than enough to be built in (actually less is really required). However, I would 100% max out the ram - let's face it these machines last 5 years so it's a very valuable decision up front.
Last edited:
Paul Spinnler
Well-known member
Apple is still poised to come out with the real Mac Pro which is expected to sport two Ultras and possibly on a lower nanometer process later this year or beg. of next year according to the rumor sites. I have the 16 Macbook Pro M1 as well so I am holding out on the big workstation given the Macbook is awesome already. I just imagine ripping through topaz plugins with two Ultras ...
I've been hoping for a desktop model in between the Mini and the Pro for years, something on the same performance level of the iMacs and Macbook Pros but with no built in monitor, so this is great news for me. 64 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, and M1 Max chip for me, which I think should meet my photo and video needs for years and years to come. I know these are famous last words, but 150 MPs appear to be more than I will ever actually need so until someone sells a digital back with some amazing new features beyond increased resolution (global shutter? Medium Format video comparable to Arri Alex 65? ___________?) then I honestly don't think I will need to upgrade for a long long while.
what kind of pictures do you shot to find this computers slow?
JeffK
Well-known member
pretty much, my bad. Forgot to put a smily face. I am so stoked by the Ultra and Studio - I was ready to hit buy on the 128gb/8tb fully powered version. But it's a May delivery. The base model is available in 3 weeks.
My M1 Mini with 16b/2TB handles my IQ260A files just fine.
Last edited:
iiiNelson
Well-known member
Ironically this is pretty close to what I proposed was needed when the Mac Pro was released for those that aren’t willing to spend 5 figures on a computer but want more flexibility than the iMac or Mac mini offered. Initially I was thinking a modular desktop with AMD processors and standard PCI Express tech but this is a better option and reasonably affordable given the price.
Regarding the RAM, it’s operating at speeds faster than DDR6 which the highest end GPU’s are utilizing right now and DDR5 which only SOC gaming console systems are utilizing as of today… so to say the Mac Studio has a level of future proofing today is a bit of an understatement. No doubt the future Mac Pro will be a monster and will likely utilize a single M1 Ultra or M2 configuration when launched (and likely multiple ones for upgraded models) when released. This is the best move Apple could possibly make in moving back to unique chipsets. Outside of software availability I greatly preferred the IBM PowerPC chips to the Intel ones in performance that just seemed the bottleneck more severely (not to mention all the thermal throttling issues Intel had trouble overcoming). Thankfully this seems to be corrected again.
Regarding the RAM, it’s operating at speeds faster than DDR6 which the highest end GPU’s are utilizing right now and DDR5 which only SOC gaming console systems are utilizing as of today… so to say the Mac Studio has a level of future proofing today is a bit of an understatement. No doubt the future Mac Pro will be a monster and will likely utilize a single M1 Ultra or M2 configuration when launched (and likely multiple ones for upgraded models) when released. This is the best move Apple could possibly make in moving back to unique chipsets. Outside of software availability I greatly preferred the IBM PowerPC chips to the Intel ones in performance that just seemed the bottleneck more severely (not to mention all the thermal throttling issues Intel had trouble overcoming). Thankfully this seems to be corrected again.
Oh a fellow headphone amp enthusiast!
Not often you seem one, what amp is that and what is your headphone of choice?
KC_2020
Active member
JeffK
Well-known member
Mapletree Audio. From a retired audio engineer who designed his own line. Makes them one at a time BTO. Paired with Senn HD650’s.
JeffK
Well-known member
Is that a grado and an 800?
KC_2020
Active member
Sennheiser S800 and Focal Utopia. On another rack to the right are Pathos Aurium and Quicksilver Audio headphone amps and a few more HPs. An M1 Mini is streaming Qobuz.
Music helps for those long image editing sessions
I've ordered the Mac Studio M1Max with 64GB of RAM. With the New Mac Pro and more coming soon I'm waiting to see before buying a machine with the Ultra.
Last edited:
KC_2020
Active member
Interesting timing on this AMD release and Apple's update to the Pro.
KC_2020
Active member
Here are a few more Mac Studio details and an Ultra benchmark.