5 Desktop PCs That Match Up with Apple Mac Studio

The new Apple Mac Studio is a powerful desktop PC that utilizes Apple’s new M1 Ultra CPU to provide extreme performance from both the CPU and the GPU. The M1 Ultra uses a new technology, dubbed UltraFusion, that combines two M1 Max processors into one that consists of the most transistors ever used in a PC CPU – 114 billion, to be exact.

The processor has 20 cores, 16 performance and 4 efficiencies, to go with up to a 64-core GPU. By comparison, Intel CPUs max out at 16 cores, but they have more threads, and AMD Ryzen 7 Threadripper processors have up to 64 cores. The chip is also incredibly efficient, achieving its extreme performance at a fraction of the power consumption of other CPUs. According to Apple, the M1 Ultra has 90% multi-threaded performance at 100 watts less. Also, according to Apple, the GPU is faster than the fastest PC GPU even though it consumes 200 fewer watts.

Mac Studio real world performance

Of course, these are Apple’s numbers and real-world benchmarks may or may not bear them out. In fact, there’s already a question as to whether the GPU is truly faster than the current PC high-end GPU, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090. For example, in Geekbench 5’s compute test, the RTX 3090 scored 215,034 compared to the M1 Ultra’s 83,121. Indeed, the older GeForce RTX 2060 Super scored 85,163, casting some doubt on Apple’s claims.

The M1 Fusion’s CPU performance is more in line with Apple’s claims, although there’s not as dramatic a difference between the Mac Studio and the fastest Windows PCs (or in some cases even an advantage). In Geekbench 5’s CPU test, the Mac Studio with the M1 Fusion scored 1,783 in the single-core test and 24,175 in the multi-core test. That compares to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X (with 64 cores) at 1,214 and 25,167 and the Intel Core i9-12900K (with 16 cores) at 1,994 and 17,173.

Also, real-world benchmarks show the Mac Studio as an incredibly fast machine but not necessarily faster in every case. In the Pugetbench Premiere Pro benchmark, for example, which runs in a live version of Adobe’s app, the M1 Ultra managed a high score of 1,539. The Threadripper 3990X’s highest score in the database was 1,387 with an Nvidia RTX A5000 GPU, while the highest Core i9-12900K score came in at 1,618 with an RTX 3090 GPU.

Comparing Apples to… Windows PCs

The real caveat is that the Mac Fusion is a tiny, quiet, and low-power PC compared to AMD- and Intel-based desktops, which are huge, loud, and pull lots of watts. Nevertheless, it’s possible to put together a Windows-based PC that can compete with the Mac Fusion at similar prices. A Mac Fusion with the fastest M1 Ultra chip, 64GB of RAM, and 1TB of solid-state storage) comes in at $4,999, for example.

Here are five Windows PCs that give the Mac Fusion a run for its money. We’re focusing here on machines utilizing Intel’s 12^th-gen CPUs. You’ll pay many thousands more for a machine configured with AMD’s high-end Threadripper CPU, putting such PCs in a different class entirely.

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Adamant Custom 64-Core Video Editing Rendering Modelling Workstation Computer – $13,199.99

We’ll go ahead and get the most expensive option out of the way. This version of Adamant’s custom workstation could well be the fasted machine on this list. It equips the 64-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, a combination that will rip through the most demanding creative and scientific applications. It’s an incredibly powerful machine that’s also going to suck down a lot of power and costs a lot of money.

• Processor: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
• RAM: 64GB DDR4
• Storage: 2TB solid-state drive (SSD) and 10TB hard disk drive (HDD)
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090

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Adamant Custom 16-Core 3D Modelling Editing Rendering Workstation – $5,799.99

You can save tons of cash by choosing Adamant’s custom workstation with an Intel Core i9-12900K rather than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper. You’ll lose out on the CPU, but the RTX 3090 GPU will continue to accelerate applications like Adobe’s Creative Suite that support the GPU.

• Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K
• RAM: 64GB DDR4
• Storage: 1TB SSD and 4TB HDD
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090

ADENINE Alpha005-AT Gaming Desktop – $4,999.99

The remainder of our selections are designated as gaming desktops, starting with the Adenine Alpha005-AT. The most likely difference between a gaming machine and a workstation such as the Adamant examples above is that the latter is more likely to use Nvidia’s Studio GPU drivers that are optimized and certified for apps like Adobe’s Creative Suite. In gaming desktops, the drivers are Nvidia’s standard that are optimized for gaming. That doesn’t mean these machines won’t perform well in creative applications, and in fact they’ll provide a good balance of performance in different types of workloads including gaming.

• Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K
• RAM: 64GB DDR4
• Storage: 2TB SSD
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090

MSI Gaming Desktop Aegis RS 12TJ-251US – $4,399.00

You’ll save a little money with this MSI machine given the 32GB of RAM, but otherwise this system is equivalent to the Adenine machine. It’s housed in a more conservative case, though, without the RGB lighting, making it a better choice for professional environments.

• Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• Storage: 2TB SSD
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090

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ABS Legend Gaming PC – $4,699.00

Our last example is the ABS Legend, a true gaming laptop with plenty of RGB lighting and for a true gaming aesthetic. Again, the components are essentially the same, meaning it will provide the same level of performance as the other PCs on this list.

• Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• Storage: 2TB SSD
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090

The Mac Studio isn’t the only game in town

This is just a sample of the machines that you can choose if you prefer Windows over Mac OS. The Mac Studio is a tremendous feat of engineering and provides excellent performance for demanding workflows. But you can configure Windows PCs that are either just as fast or close enough.

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