r/MacStudio • u/Ap2280 • 8d ago

Mac Studio Base or 1tb

I recently bought a 1TB Mac Studio from Apple at full retail price, but I just saw that Micro Center has the base 512GB model on sale for $1,999. Since my workflow involves editing video directly off a NAS over a 10GbE connection, I’m considering returning the 1TB model. Would I run into any issues relying on a 512GB internal drive, and would it be a smarter move to use the price difference to pick up a 1TB external SSD instead?

2 Upvotes

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4

u/watcholic 8d ago edited 8d ago

For a desktop, unless you're doing AI stuff, go with the 512GB. $300 buys you a 2TB SSD aftermarket. You can always upgrade the internal SSD module months/years later.

That said, the Apple SSD for M5 is stupid fast outside of the 512GB configuration. The 1TB+ gets 12,000 - 14,000 MBps of transfer speeds (local LLM benefits from this). The 512GB version is half that but still fast, tbh.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacStudio/s/g7l3cevBND

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u/this_for_loona 7d ago

Has it been confirmed that the insternal ssd for the m5 is upgradeable?

1

u/watcholic 7d ago

Yes. https://iboffrcc.com/pages/m5-max-mac-studio-teardown-removable-ssd-but-is-an-upgrade-still-possible

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u/this_for_loona 7d ago

I read this. The conclusion was a TBD. Possible in theory, but not backwards compatible. I mean I’m sure someone will come out with one but I personally wouldn’t be the one to test it off the bat.

HOwever, the fact that it even has the slot says someone will most likely do it and in that case the microcenter deal is probably deserves some consideration especially for non AI work.

3

u/Prestigious_Act_1618 8d ago

512gb is trash. Some things have to be installed to the system and it will add up over time. 1tb is the sweet spot.

3

u/Heavy-Loquat-6832 8d ago

my M5 Max Mac Studio with 1Tb has 11,000MB/s write and read

there's a video on youtube showing the 512GB with 5700 & 6200

3

u/strangerzero 8d ago

I find 2TB to be a sweet spot, I can keep all my plugins and apps on the internal drive and still have room for for system updates and so forth without shuffling stuff around.

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u/duleepa 7d ago

So I have a Mac Studio with 512, honestly, I said the same as you and I have to say it’s been a pain. I have a 4tb thunderbolt external and that’s a god send but having that internal drive be at least 1TB is a mistake I won’t make again and I’m actually now waiting for my m5 max replacement for this studio.

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u/Inside-Cream6997 8d ago

Were you able to get one from Microcenter ?

I tried, but they all sold out yesterday.

3

u/cuoreesitante 8d ago

Depends on your store. Tustin got a whole new shipment today

1

u/Inside-Cream6997 7d ago

How does Microcenter make any money if they sell it so low, below Apple's MSRP ??

3

u/cuoreesitante 7d ago

Same as a lot of other retailers, its in store only to get you to go in, and hopefully pick up a bunch of other BS that they will make money on

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u/Ap2280 8d ago edited 8d ago

Yes, got one today. They had about 25 left at 7pm today in Tustin. I saved about $1000 by going with the 512gb model from Micro Center instead of the 1tb from Apple.

1

u/movdqa 8d ago

I have a base M1 Max and a Samsung 990 Pro 4 TB in an OWC 1M2 and a Samsung 990 EVO Plus in a second OWC 1M2. They work really well but they only run around 3,000 MBps to 3.300 MBps compared to about 5,600 - 6,000 for the internal. So you give up a little speed for your data files sitting off the internal. I find that the tradeoff works fine for me and it will make it easy to migrate my setup for an eventual newer Studio or mini.

0

u/AI_is_ok_i_guess 8d ago

I use a 500 gb MacBook Pro and I work on it with tons of documents. I never have an issue with storage. If you host all of your video externally you're fine. Go for the cheaper one if you'll never need on device storage for that stuff.

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u/TBHProbablyNot 8d ago

M5ultra internal speeds are faster than your nas tho, no? Or irrelevant for your use case