Mac Studio with M1 Ultra is heavier because of heat & material choices

Given the large price difference between M1 Max and M1 Ultra, this makes sense. 

netrox said:

Given the large price difference between M1 Max and M1 Ultra, this makes sense. 

What?  Even if the entire 2 lbs was copper heatsink, the difference in material cost is at most $5 if Apple paid retail for copper.  

Why does this need 370W power supply if its peak performance can be achieved at 100W?

dk49 said:

Why doesn't this need 370W power supply if its peak performance can be achieved at 100W?

PC power supplies are typically the most efficient between oh, let's say 30-70% load (about 110-260 watts for this unit).

In the Mac Studio the same power supply supports both the M1 Max and the M1 Ultra, the latter which will draw more power. Don't forget that there are different GPU configurations (number of cores). There are also other transistors that draw power both in the package (e.g., unified memory, the interconnect) as well as elsewhere in system (e.g., NAND flash storage, connectivity, Bluetooth and wireless radios, etc.). And there are the mechanical components (two blowers) that also draw current.

This PSU is specced out to support the maximum configuration (M1 Ultra, 128GB memory, maxed GPU, 8TB SSD, all six TB4 ports running at full speed) not the entry-level offering or something in the middle. Unlike a typical PC chassis, you can't just swap out a 650W ATX PSU with a 1200W replacement on a Mac Studio.

From a cost and supply standpoint, it's probably easier for Apple to simply design one PSU rather than have multiple PSUs with different capacities. I'm sure they tried a bunch of different PSUs while prototyping.

Consumer semiconductors also have a sweet spot. The performance-to-watt curve typically isn't a straight line. At the top end of the curve, you can increase the power but only reap modest gains with today's silicon. Gone are the days of overclocking CPUs and GPUs for massive gains. Today's chip designers are putting most of that headroom in the chip's boost design. There's very little improvement to be gained from Joe Consumer.

PSUs lose efficiency at really low loads and really high loads. If a hypothetical system maxes out at 198 W sustained, you don't want to put in a 200 W PSU. That's a 99% load; you lose efficiency and there's no headroom for short term boosts of power.

flydog said:

netrox said:

Given the large price difference between M1 Max and M1 Ultra, this makes sense. 

What?  Even if the entire 2 lbs was copper heatsink, the difference in material cost is at most $5 if Apple paid retail for copper.  

The IP for the Apple Silicon won't be paid down for a long, long time.   Apple's only now getting around to being able to put an A13 in a monitor.