You can no longer buy an M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 512GB of unified memory from Apple. Instead, the machine can now be configured with a maximum of 256GB of memory.
Apple also raised the price for upgrading the memory from 96GB to 256GB by $400.
Mac Studio now tops out at 256GB memory
The Mac Studio was the only machine in Apple’s lineup that you could purchase with up to 512GB of unified memory. While that may sound excessive for everyday use, the massive memory pool proves invaluable for tasks such as running large language models (LLMs), complex data analysis and other compute-heavy workflows.
The 512GB Mac Studio has become especially popular among developers and AI enthusiasts who want to run LLMs locally. The large amount of memory allows running larger models locally, providing greater control over AI workloads. This also led to an increase in its demand in recent months.
However, Apple has now silently removed the 512GB option from its online store. The move stems from the ongoing DRAM and NAND shortage currently affecting the consumer tech space.
You can now only configure the M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 256GB of memory — 50% less than before. And even then, you will pay more for it.
Until last week, Apple charged $1,600 to upgrade the M3 Ultra’s memory from 96GB to 256GB. The same upgrade now costs $2,000 — which isn’t an outrageous price considering what 256 GB of RAM now sells for.
Pricing for the M4 Max-equipped Mac Studio remains unchanged, though it can only be configured with up to 128GB RAM.
Be ready to pay more for the M5 Ultra Mac Studio
The higher upgrade pricing could also signal that Apple plans to raise prices for the upcoming M5 Max and M5 Ultra Mac Studio models expected later this year. While the base configuration may retain its current pricing, custom builds — especially higher-end configurations — could become more expensive.
Apple has already raised the prices of the M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pros by $200, though they also come with double the base storage. Likewise, the new M5 MacBook Air is $100 more expensive than its predecessor.
via MacRumors
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
