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Should I upgrade my Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022)?

4 years old · Runs macOS 27 Golden Gate, the current macOS

Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022)1Mac Studio (M5 Max)2

Quick look

Quick look: Mac Studio M1 Max against Mac Studio M5 Max
FigureMac Studio M1 Max1Mac Studio M5 Max2
Price£1,9993launch price£2,4994Apple UK store
ChipM1 MaxchipM5 Maxchip
CPU10-coreCPU18-coreCPU
GPU24-coreGPU32-coreGPU
Memory32GBunified memory, base36GBunified memory, base
Storage512GBstorage, base512GBstorage, base
Released18 March 20223ReleasedIn select Apple Stores; orderable online from 8 March 2022.22 September 20265ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 25 August 2026.
Security updatesNot available6Security updatesNot available6Security updates

Software support

Security updates
Not available6
macOS
macOS 27 Golden Gate, the current macOS

Mac Studio M1 Max and the Mac Studio M5 Max

The newest Max-tier Mac in this line that Apple still sells.

Specifications

Body

Body: Apple Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) against Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max)
SpecificationMac Studio M1 Max1Mac Studio M5 Max2
Dimensions95 x 197 x 197 mm95 x 197 x 197 mm
Weight2.7 kg2.7 kg
ColoursSilverSilver
PortsFour Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s), HDMI port, 10Gb Ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack; on front (M1 Max): two USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s), SDXC card slot (UHS-II)Four Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, two USB 3 (USB-A) ports (up to 5Gb/s), HDMI 2.1 port, 10Gb Ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack; on front (M5 Max): two USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s), SDXC card slot (UHS-II)
Thunderbolt ports744
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 4Thunderbolt 5
USB-A ports22
HDMIHDMI portHDMI 2.1 port
SD card slotYesYes
Headphone jackYesYes

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) against Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max)
SpecificationMac Studio M1 Max1Mac Studio M5 Max2
ChipApple M1 Max chipApple M5 Max chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores1018
Super coresNot available869
Performance cores8129
Efficiency cores2Not available10
GPU cores2432
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM1 Max with 10-core CPU and 24-core GPU, or M1 Max with 10-core CPU and 32-core GPU11M5 Max with 18-core CPU and 32-core GPU, or M5 Max with 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU9
Memory (base)32GB36GB
Memory (maximum)64GB11128GB9
Memory options32GB or 64GB1136GB; 48GB, 64GB or 128GB (40-core GPU)9
Memory bandwidth400 GB/s460 GB/s
Storage (base)512GB512GB
Storage (maximum)8TB118TB9
Storage options512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB11512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB9
Media engineHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginetwo video encode enginestwo ProRes encode and decode enginesHardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginetwo video encode enginestwo ProRes encode and decode enginesAV1 decode

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) against Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max)
SpecificationMac Studio M1 Max1Mac Studio M5 Max2
Maximum continuous power370 W480 W

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) against Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max)
SpecificationMac Studio M1 Max1Mac Studio M5 Max2
Wi-Fi802.11ax Wi-Fi 6Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be)
Bluetooth5.06
Ethernet10Gb Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ-45 connector)10Gb Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ-45 connector)
External displays (base)55

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) against Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max)
SpecificationMac Studio M1 Max1Mac Studio M5 Max2
SpeakersBuilt-in speaker12Built-in speaker13

Platform

Platform: Apple Mac Studio (M1 Max, 2022) against Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max)
SpecificationMac Studio M1 Max1Mac Studio M5 Max2
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate14macOS 27 Golden Gate14
Model identifierMac13,115Mac17,1416
Model year2022202617

The rest of the range at the price

Macs from other lines with a price read from Apple’s UK store, released within a year of the Mac Studio M5 Max and priced within a quarter of its £2,499 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, nearest price first. Each links to its side-by-side table, with your Mac Studio M1 Max (2022) or, where that pair is not one this site indexes, with the Mac Studio M5 Max.

Trade-in and used prices

CeX pays, grade A
£768 cash / £888 voucher18Base configuration
CeX sells, grade A
£1,20018Base configuration, out of stock online and in store when read
The Mac Studio M5 Max new, less CeX’s cash
£1,731£2,499 new at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, less £768 cash CeX was offering on 3 November 2026 for a grade A Mac Studio M1 Max (2022) in its base configuration

More

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2022) - Tech Specs · Default for Mac Studio M1 Max · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple UK — Mac Studio Technical Specifications · Default for Mac Studio M5 Max · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils all-new Mac Studio and Studio Display · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple UK store — Mac Studio M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB, 512GB — From £2,499 · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  5. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  6. Apple publishes no date for the end of updates, and this site does not guess one. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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  7. Different Thunderbolt generations. Mac Studio M1 Max: Thunderbolt 4. Mac Studio M5 Max: Thunderbolt 5.

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  8. Doesn’t apply: this chip has no super cores

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  9. Apple UK — Mac Studio Technical Specifications · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  10. Apple lists this chip’s cores as 6 super cores, 12 performance cores, with no efficiency cores

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  11. Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2022) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  12. Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2022) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  13. Apple UK — Mac Studio Technical Specifications · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  14. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  15. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  16. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  17. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  18. CeX — Trade-in, Grade A, cash · third-party figure · read 3 Nov 2026

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Not published by Apple

Mac Studio M1 Max. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: memory upgradeable by user, storage upgradeable by user, microphones, the macOS it shipped with. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart row for this Mac does not state its GPU core count, so no Metal score is shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (2022) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils all-new Mac Studio and Studio Display; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model, read 9 Oct 2026.

Mac Studio M5 Max. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: memory upgradeable by user, storage upgradeable by user, microphones, the macOS it shipped with. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — Mac Studio (M5 Max or M5 Ultra) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your Mac Studio model, read 9 Oct 2026.

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