Intel's 12th-gen CPUs have already made a strong showing against AMD's Ryzen 6000 chips, but now Intel is taking things to another level with its "HX" processors. They're the first notebook 16-core notebook processors on the market, and they're also completely unlocked and overclockable. Intel is basically aiming to give enthusiasts and content creators the same sort of power and flexibility they expect from desktop chips.
Intel
Perhaps that's why the HX-series specs seem so familiar. At the high end, there's the Core i9-12950HX with 16 cores (8 performance and 8 efficient), 24 threads and a maximum turbo speed of 5GHz. For the most part, it looks like Intel has scaled scaled down its 12900K desktop chip to be usable in laptops. And with a boost TDP of a toasty 157-watts (and a base TDP of 55-watts), efficiency clearly isn't the main focus. The HX chips are powerhouses meant for beefy 15 and 17-inch workstations — don't even dare ask about battery life.
Performance wise, Intel's charts show that the HX chips aren't a huge leap over its mobile H-series processors. The 12900HX offers 64 percent faster multi-threaded performance than the i9-11980HK, but that's only slightly faster than the 12900HK (scaled figures would make these charts much more useful, to be honest). The HX processors will ship with support for DDR5 and DDR4 overclocking, as well as a new Dynamic Memory Boost feature. They'll also have "efficient-core clocking" as well as a revamped Intel Extreme Tuning program.
Intel
Intel's 12th-gen HX series processors will start shipping later this year in large workstations like the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 SE, MSI's GE77 and 67 Raider, Lenovo's Legion 7i, HP's Omen 17 and Gigabyte's Aorus 17X and 15X.
Imagine everything you'd want in a gaming monitor — a bright and beautiful screen, a fast refresh rate for silky smooth graphics, HDR to really make things shine — and there's a good chance you'll find it in Alienware's 34 Curved QD-OLED monitor. It's one of the first screens to ship with Samsung's Quantum Dot OLED panels, and it's stacked with other features that'll make your Halo Infinite matches all the more satisfying. While it may seem a bit extravagant at $1,299, compared to Apple's $1,599 Studio Display it's practically a steal. (Or maybe I'm just telling myself that to justify buying this thing.)
I'll admit this up front: I'm a sucker for ultrawide (21:9) monitors. Having a ton of horizontal space makes it easy to juggle multiple apps at once, and it's far cleaner than setting up multiple displays. So when Alienware revealed that it was finally debuting an OLED ultrawide, I was sold. While OLED has solidified its place in premium TVs, it's taken a while to reach computer monitors (we only started getting OLED laptops regularly a few years ago). What makes this monitor even more intriguing is that it has all of the benefits you'd expect from OLED — deep black levels, excellent contrast and no backlight bleeding thanks to pixels that light up individually — but the addition of quantum dots means you'll continue to see vibrant colors as the screen gets brighter.
Sure, this new tech means there's another annoying display acronym to remember, but at least QD-OLED will offer some other notable upgrades. According to Samsung, it'll be able to reach up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness (like this Alienware monitor), whereas the cream of the current OLED crop reaches around 400 nits. More brightness isn't everything, especially since OLED's perfect black levels can produce some eye-blistering contrast, yet it's still a meaningful step forward as LCDs are becoming even more luminous with Mini-LED backlighting.
The Alienware QD-OLED monitor, like many 34-inch ultrawide models, features a 3,440 by 1,440 resolution. Think of it as an extra-long quad-HD screen: It's not as sharp as 4K, but it's still a huge leap ahead of 1080p. And since it doesn't have as many pixels as a 4K screen, you'll be able to play many games at its native resolution without taking out a loan for an RTX 3080 Ti. There's also support for G-SYNC Ultimate, NVIDIA's adaptive refresh rate technology which helps to reduce stuttering, as well as HDR 400 True Black. Alienware says it reaches 99.3 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and it's also color calibrated at the factory, both important features if you're doing any production work.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
But enough specs, does this monitor actually look good in action? Yes, oh yes. My eyes watered while playing Halo Infinite's desert-based "Behemoth" map, it was almost as if I was watching the sun reflecting off pristine sand in person. (That was also a sign I needed to lower the brightness a bit.) I kept noticing new details about my Spartan's armor, thanks to the monitor's color accuracy and pitch-perfect contrast. It also took me a while to get used to playing Overwatch again, as my brain struggled to keep up with the QD-OLED's fast 175Hz refresh rate. The game reacted almost instantly, thanks to the QD-OLED monitor's 0.1ms response time.
Compared to Dell's 34-inch ultrawide gaming monitor, which I tested for several months last year, the Alienware QD-OLED looked dramatically better no matter what I was looking at. Colors popped off the screen, even when I was just scrolling through the web or watching movie trailers, and the deep curve always kept me in the center of the action. You'll have to live with vertical black bars if you want to watch typical 16x9 videos fullscreen, but personally, I'd rather have more room to play something in the corner or side of the screen. Let your TV handle movie night — ultrawide monitors are all about multitasking.
A bigger issue is the lack of support for ultrawide resolutions in some games. Elden Ring, for example, can only be played in standard widescreen resolution. (You could risk a third-party patch, but that could get you banned if you play online.) I still enjoyed the dozens of hours I spent with the game on this QD-OLED monitor, but the black bars on the sides of the screen effectively turned it into a 27-inch display. You could run the game in a window and multitask on the side, but Elden Ring is the sort of experience I'd rather devote my full attention to. At the very least, the state of ultrawide gaming is far better now than it was a few years ago. It's hard to find major titles that ignore 21:9 screens entirely, especially when it comes to shooters.
While the Alienware QD-OLED's design isn't as handsome as Apple's metallic Studio Display, it features the same sci-fi aesthetic Alienware has been pushing since 2019. The case is made of plastic, but at least it feels sturdy and smooth to the touch. There's none of the cheap flexing you'd find on budget monitors. There's a tasteful oval of LED lighting on the back of the monitor, alongside a glowing Alienware logo, but it's thankfully free of the garish bling you'd find on other gaming displays. A small fan blows hot air out of the top of the monitor, which gives it a slight hum that was easily drowned out by the sounds of my gaming rig. The Alienware monitor also offers both tilt and height adjustment, something you'd have to pay $400 more to get with the Studio Display.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
When it comes to connectivity, the Alienware 34 QD-OLED includes one DisplayPort 1.4 connection (up to 175Hz), 2 HDMI 2.0 ports (up to 100Hz), and four USB 3.2 Gen 1 connections spread across the bottom and back of the display. There's also a headphone port on the bottom bottom of the monitor, and an audio line-out connection on the rear. It would have been nice to see HDMI 2.1 ports, or at the very least HDMI 2.0 connections with 120Hz support for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Clearly, Alienware is focusing on PC gamers, but some competitors offer HDMI 2.1 to make life easier for console players.
At $1,299, you'll be paying a steep price for Alienware's QD-OLED monitor, but it’s on par with other premium ultrawide monitors. LG's 34-inch UltraGear is currently selling for $1,243, but that's an LCD screen with a slower refresh rate. Or you could just go for LG's 42-inch C2 OLED TV for $1,399, which is one of the best screens you can buy right now. (but it's probably a bit too tall for desk work). If you're looking for a similarly-sized display on a budget, Dell's (admittedly far less impressive) 34-inch ultrawide gaming monitor is down to $500.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Here's the thing: Even though Alienware's QD-OLED is a major investment, it's arguably a wise one that could last you for years. For the price of a premium display last year (and less than Apple's Studio Display!), you get next-generation OLED technology, an objectively gorgeous screen and all of the gaming upgrades you could ask for. It’s the rare gadget that makes me grin like an absolute idiot while I’m using it, surely that’s worth paying for.
So does the Overwatch 2 beta live up to all of the hype and anticipation? This week, Jessica Conditt joins Devindra to chat about Blizzard’s long-awaited sequel and why she thinks it’s worth the wait. Also, we discuss why you should care about data privacy given the current wave of anti-abortion legislation, and why the Embracer Group is gobbling up so many developers.
Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Overwatch 2 beta brings some freshness to a stale game, but is it enough? – 1:15
What does the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade mean for online privacy in the US? – 13:28
Swedish game company Embracer buys several Square Enix studios – 17:47
Sonos is reportedly working on a $250 sound bar called the Ray – 21:46
Obi-Wan trailer drops for May the 4th – 23:19
Engadget’s coverage of Formula-E races in Monaco – 24:53
Working on – 27:14
Pop culture picks – 29:59
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Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Jessica Conditt Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh
PillPack, an online pharmacy owned by Amazon, will pay $5.79 million to the U.S. government and states to settle a fraud suit related to its insulin distribution practices, the Department of Justice announced on Monday. The company admitted to sending customers full cartons of insulin pens — in some cases more than they needed or were prescribed — while under-reporting their days-of-supply to circumvent limits from Medicare and Medicaid. The result? PillPack effectively overbilled the government agencies for some insulin shipments between April 2014 and November 2019.
"Pharmacies are trusted to provide accurate information to Government healthcare programs and to prevent waste when dispensing medications to patients," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. "PillPack abused this trust by dispensing insulin refills long before patients needed them and by falsely reporting the days-of-supply of insulin actually dispensed to prevent its claims for reimbursement from being denied."
PillPack's technology, which Amazon acquired in 2018, was used to create Amazon Pharmacy. But, as The Verge notes, PillPack still operates on its own. In a statement to Axios, an Amazon spokesperson noted that the company changed its distribution practices in 2019 and deflected the fraud allegations, saying that it "was common among pharmacies to not open pre-packaged boxes of insulin pens to ensure customers had enough life-saving medication." At the very least, the spokesperson said, customers weren't billed for the extra insulin pens.
It's a terrible time to buy a car. The global chip shortage and a pandemic-driven demand for safe transportation has pushed prices to obscene levels. It's not unusual to see dealers adding on $10,000 or more in "market adjustment fees." For most people, the smartest decision right now is to hold onto your current car for as long as possible. But as my wife and I began preparing for our second child, we realized we needed a larger vehicle for carrying twice as much baby gear, as well as to take the occasional road trip.
As much as I loved my 2017 RAV4 Hybrid, it would have been too tight with two car seats in the backseat along with two kids worth of gear in the trunk. It also didn't have CarPlay integration, which meant I had to rely on Bluetooth audio and Toyota's abysmal infotainment apps. (I was particularly annoyed that I couldn't even play the radio while using Google Maps navigation.) There weren't any rear vents for heating and cooling, either, which inevitably turned the back seat into a furnace during Georgia's obscenely humid summers. That's a surefire way to make a toddler cranky, and it would be even worse with an infant onboard.
Thankfully, I've spent the last few years obsessively researching the perfect family car. (You can thank the pandemic and my desire to tinker with new hardware for that.) Toyota's hybrid 2021 Sienna taught me that minivans can actually look cool these days and get decent mileage. I've also tested out Toyota's RAV4 Prime, Prius Prime and the Kia Sorento, all of which were plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) with a bit of electric driving range.
At first, I leaned towards the updated Sienna: I genuinely loved our review unit, and Toyota's reliability is legendary. But it turns out tons of other people had the same idea earlier this year. New Siennas were selling for $8,000 over their list price, based on what I saw at several local dealers. (Who, of course, didn't tell me about those extra fees until I stepped foot in their godforsaken offices.) And used 2021 models were actually going for more than their original list price. I wasn't about to spend over $50,000 on a used Sienna.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Then I remembered the other popular minivan, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. It's the only PHEV minivan on the market, delivering 33 miles of electric range and 32 MPG of gas driving. We gave it a glowing review in 2018, and, well, my options were pretty limited earlier this year. My dream car would have been a large family-sized EV, but with the Tesla Model X still far out of reach and no alternatives available, a PHEV simply made more sense.
After being burned by several useless car dealers, I spent weeks hunting through Carvana listings. I appreciated that they were up front about extra fees, they don't gouge you as much as dealers and I had a great experience buying my RAV4 from them in 2020. Eventually, I found my ideal Pacifica: a Limited 2018 model with low mileage, CarPlay, a tri-plane sunroof, advanced safety features and a 20-speaker sound system. There was no way I was going to look like a cool dad in a minivan, but at least I could have a bit of fun driving it.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
A week later, Carvana took away my RAV4 as a trade-in and delivered the Pacifica to my driveway. It was love at first sight. Even though it's not as sporty as the Sienna or RAV4 Prime, I love the Pacifica's cute and quirky aesthetic. It's as if Chrysler took the idea of a family van and processed it through a '90s anime filter. Its arched LED daytime running lights seem like they're winking at you, while the elegant body lines give it a sense of motion while it's standing still.
The sheer practicality of the Pacifica also won me over quickly. The Pacifica's sliding doors made it a cinch to install my daughter's 30-pound car seat, and I appreciated having much more room for child loading/unloading. Being a minivan, its trunk area was massive, even if I decided to have the third-row seats opened up. Those rear seats are a serious upgrade over mid-size SUVs, where they're only meant for children.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
My wife and I also loved having more interior space in general, since we inevitably found ourselves buried in toddler toys and gear in the RAV4. There’s even enough room for my daughter to use her portable potty between the seats! Another bonus: The rear seats also have two separate video screens, which will be perfect for keeping the kids entertained during long trips.
Things got even better in the driver’s seat, where the Pacifica’s UConnect infotainment system finally made me feel like I was driving a modern car. The 8.4-inch screen was bright enough to be clearly visible in direct sunlight (something my RAV4 struggled to do), and it had a surprisingly responsive touchscreen. While I was most excited to have CarPlay integration, it was nice to see that UConnect’s entire interface could be customized as easily as an iOS device.
Unfortunately, Carvana didn’t ship the Pacifica with a Level 1 charging cable, but I received a voucher to receive one from a local mechanic. That process would take a few weeks though, so I bought another charger myself to get juice up sooner. After 12 hours of charging from a standard wall socket in my garage, the Pacifica truly became the PHEV of my dreams. It handled quietly and smoothly around my neighborhood, giving us enough EV driving to deal with daycare drop-off and pickup, as well as our typical neighborhood errands.
While I’m sure nobody would ever mistake the Pacifica for a Tesla, I definitely surprised some local drivers when I zoomed ahead of them at stop lights. That’s the power of EV torque in action: It was so smooth, it never felt like I was driving a large minivan.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
My family and I had a blissful first few weeks with the Pacifica. We rarely exceeded the 30 miles of EV range we typically saw every day (a bit less than EPA estimates), which meant the gas gauge pretty much stayed put. Sadly, our honeymoon period ended shortly after Valentine’s Day, when Chrysler announced it was recalling 16,741 2017-2018 Pacifica hybrid models. The company said it was aware of 10 vehicles that caught fire while the ignition was off, many of which were also charging at the same time. Chrysler’s advice: Park outside and don’t charge your Pacifica until the problem is fixed.
Sadly, our car was among the recalled models, so now we’re stuck using it like a standard hybrid. The Pacifica is still a very nice family minivan, but without EV driving it just felt less special to me. Occasionally, its regenerative brakes will gather enough juice for a bit of electric fun, but it’s never too long before the V6 engine kicks in and it starts guzzling gas again. We’re also not getting anywhere near the 32MPG estimated mileage. Instead, it’s hovering around 21MPG, which is more in line with the standard gas Pacifica.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
After all that research and anticipation, it's heartbreaking to see our dream PHEV turned into a hybrid with so-so mileage, especially with skyrocketing gas prices. I’m also kicking myself for taking a risk on a Chrysler car, a brand that hasn’t been known for reliability nearly as much as Toyota. All I can do now is hope Chrysler comes up with a fix soon and pray that we don’t have to deal with a car fire with kids onboard. (Or just throw caution to the wind and swap to the Volvo XC90 PHEV.)
Halo’s TV adaptation doesn't waste any time differentiating itself from the popular game franchise. We open in a rebel village bar, where patrons are discussing the evil UNSC (United Nations Space Command) and boogey-man like Spartans. It could easily be a scene from Firefly, the short-lived series about plucky folks fighting for freedom against an authoritarian central government. In short order, a group of Covenant aliens attack, leading to a bloody massacre where limbs are blown off, skulls take serious damage and an entire room of children is murdered. It's not too long before Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber), our hero clad in glorious green armor, appears and wipes out the alien threat with a unit of super-human Spartan soldiers with brutal yet elegant efficiency.
Spoilers ahead for Halo on Paramount+.
The core Halo games were always rated M for Mature by the ESRB, but they never felt as gory as the Paramount+ show's opening. When you're playing as Master Chief, you feel like a one-man army going on a fun intergalactic adventure. The TV series instead begins by focusing on people usually ignored by the games. Only one survivor is left from that rebel village, a teenaged girl named Kwan Ah. But instead of being cared for by the Spartans and their UNSC and United Earth Government overseers, she's treated as a prisoner. While the Halo games have typically treated the UEG as a sort of benevolent authoritarian regime, the show frames the military government as controlling and villainous.
That may end up turning off the franchise's most diehard fans, but it's a more honest representation of what the UNSC represents. Master Chief quickly learns that he can't trust his leaders either. After touching an alien artifact, he begins to have flashbacks to a former, pre-soldier life. While the show isn't quick to jump into his origins, Halo fans know the history of the Spartan soldiers is rife with controversy. Master Chief, and other members of his cohort, were actually kidnapped as children, genetically modified and trained to be battle-hardened super soldiers. While the games rarely wrestled with the horrors and complexity of that program, the lore-heavy Halo novels filled in the gaps.
Paramount+
What's most interesting about the Halo series is that it's confronting that backstory head-on. When we first meet Master Chief, he's the ultimate soldier we're familiar with. But when the UNSC orders him to kill Kwan Ah, he hesitates and does something we've never seen in the games: He takes off his helmet. Instead of killing the defenseless teen, Master Chief goes rogue. The super soldier starts to think for himself.
Unfortunately, the interesting elements of Halo are somewhat outweighed by the show's simplistic writing, stiff acting and sometimes dodgy special effects. If it came out in 2015, when wefirst expected it to arrive on Showtime, it would be more impressive. But now we're practically living through a golden age of sci-fi TV.The Mandalorian(and to a lesser extent, The Book of Boba Fett), is giving us several episodes of big-budget Star Wars action annually!Foundation on Apple TV+ isn't the Asimov story as we know it, but it looks incredible. The Expanse skillfully brought an epic book series to life. And even Ridley Scott is dabbling in science fiction again withRaised by Wolves.
It also doesn't help that, at its core, Halo feels like a retread of The Mandalorian's riff on Lone Wolf and the Cub in space. Kwan Ah isn't a child, but she's a defenseless innocent who's being protected by a tough-guy space loner who's forced to go against his superiors. Whatever made Halo seem unique several years ago just doesn't exist anymore.
Still, it's astounding that the show exists at all. The live-action adaptation wasfirst announced in 2013 as a collaboration between 343 Industries and Amblin Entertainment, with Steven Spielberg himself joining as a producer. Kiki Wolfkill, 343's head of Halo transmedia, tells Engadget that the key element to getting the series off the ground was "patience." The studio wasn't rushing to get the series on TV, instead 343 wanted to take its time to get the adaptation right.
Halo finally started to rev up in 2018 with Kyle Killen joining as a writer/showrunner, who was later joined by Steven Kane in 2019. The original director, Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), was eventually replaced by Otto Bathurst (Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders), which pushed production even further. And once they finally started shooting in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced another delay. Instead of being a premium cable highlight, it became a flagship series for Paramount+ last year.
Despite the fits and starts, Wolfkill says the pandemic delay ultimately helped the creative team regroup and discover some unsustainable aspects of production. At one point, she said, there were five directors shooting episodes at the same time. Taking a break also allowed the VFX teams to catch up on a backload of work. Now that Paramount+ has already ordered a second season, Wolfkill says the team is also better prepared to deal with bringing the world of Halo to life. For example, they know that the live-action Master Chief can't unholster his gun from his back like he does in the game – that has to be VFX work instead.
While the Halo series exists on a separate “Silver” timeline from the games, Wolfkill says we may see some crossover between the mediums eventually. But when I asked if we’ll ever see an unmasked Master Chief in the games, Wolfkill was quick to say “pretty categorically no.” As she says, “that’s a different experience and that Chief is owned by all of us, so we’d never want to impede on that.”
It’s time to talk about all of those other new Apple gadgets. This week, Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham joins Devindra to dive into Apple’s Studio Display, a nice looking 5K monitor that’s really only meant for the Mac faithful. Also, they discuss why the new iPad Air is a fabulous tablet, and explore what could be the best 5G laptop for RV nomads. Stay tuned to the end for a chat with Dan Erickson, the creator of the excellent Apple TV+ series Severance.
Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Snap buys brain interface company NextMind – 28:37
Apple acquired UK banking startup Credit Kudos – 33:27
The saga of the LA Tesla jump TikTok stunt – 40:23
Ask Engadget: The best setup for retiree trailer life – 44:54
Working on – 52:40
Pop culture picks – 55:58
Interview with Severance creator Dan Erickson – 1:02:44
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Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Nathan Ingraham Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos Graphic artists: Luke Brooks
Much like the Mac Studio, Apple's new Studio Display is something its devoted fans have been begging for for years. LG's Ultrafine 5K display was, well, just fine, but it wasn't Apple-quality hardware. And while the company's Pro XDR 6K display has practically every feature you'd want, it also costs an eye-watering $6,000. It sure would be nice if Apple just sold the 5K screen from the 27-inch iMac on its own!
Enter the Studio Display. It's a bit brighter than the 5K iMac, but otherwise it's pretty much the same 27-inch screen we've seen for years. To make up for the lack of modern features — like the faster ProMotion refresh rate and Mini-LED backlighting we saw on the latest MacBook Pros — Apple stuffed in an A13 Bionic chip to drive its webcam and speaker features. It's not exactly a smart display as we'd define one, but it's certainly smarter than most screens. Unfortunately, the Studio Display's high $1,599 starting price makes it out of reach for everyone but the Apple faithful.
What's truly maddening, though, is that Apple is seemingly oblivious to the display market in 2022. If you want a height adjustable stand, for example, you'll have to shell out an additional $400 at the time of purchase. (This is the same company that priced the ProDisplay XDR's stand at $1,000, don't forget.) That feature is practically standard today, save for some truly budget offerings. Making height adjustment cost extra on such an expensive monitor is simply inexcusable. There's also a VESA mount option, but you can only opt for that when you're buying the screen. Heaven forbid your needs change after the fact.
And if you want Apple's nano-texture glass option, which helps to reduce reflections in bright environments, be prepared to spend an additional $300. Putting that screen technology along with a height adjustable stand brings the total cost of the Studio Display to $2,299. Sigh. That's just hard to stomach when I also have Alienware's QD-OLED 34-inch ultrawide monitor on my desk — it's pretty much the ultimate gaming screen, with a 175Hz refresh rate, 1,000 nits of peak brightness and actual HDR compatibility. And when compared to the Studio Display, the Alienware QD-OLED is practically a bargain at $1,299.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
I get it, the Studio Display isn't made for me. And really, it's not meant for anyone who'd consider a non-Apple product. It's a monitor built expressly for the company's devotees—the sort of user who demands a 5K screen that can accurately render MacOS, and who scoffs at the cheap plastic frames that plague the competition. I've talked to several Mac fanatics who are still running the company's defunct Thunderbolt monitor, and avoided upgrading to the issue-plagued LG UltraFine 5K, who immediately preordered the Studio Display. For them, there just isn't another option.
Despite my frustrations with so many aspects of the Studio Display, it's still a very nice looking 5K LED screen. Its wide P3 gamut support allows colors to pop off the screen, which is particularly noticeable when working with high-resolution photos. The Studio Display isn't technically an HDR screen, but it can still take advantage of the wider color range from HDR streams. Its 600 nits of brightness was also more than enough for my dimly lit office — that's a good thing if you're planning to use one right by a sunny window. And even though it's an aging LED, at least it's using an IPS panel, so colors still looked great from extreme viewing angles.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Naturally, the Studio Display also looks and feels like a premium Apple device, with a smooth aluminum case and an attractive design that's striking from every angle. Around the back, there’s a single Thunderbolt 3 USB-C connection that can charge a MacBook Pro and deliver audio/data at the same time, along with three USB-C ports for accessories. So sure, Mac-heads may be overpaying a ton, but at least they're getting a very usable monitor that'll last for years.
Sometimes, though, using the Studio Display sometimes felt like I was trapped in a David Lynch-esque nightmare, where the beautiful veneer was covering subtle horrors. Black levels never looked better than a dim gray, for example, because the screen relies on a single LED backlight. A modern LCD screen in the same price range typically has dozens to hundreds of backlight zones. (The Mini-LED backlights on the new MacBook Pros have thousands of local dimming zones!) OLED displays, meanwhile, don’t even have to deal with backlight since their pixels can turn on and off individually, delivering far better contrast than the Studio Display.
I also couldn't help but notice that scrolling through text and webpages just never looked as smooth as it does on my iPhone 13 Pro and other Apple ProMotion screens. Once you live with high refresh rates day-to-day, it's hard to go back to any screen running at a mere 60Hz.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The Studio Display's six-speaker sound system is one of the most impressive things I've ever heard from a monitor, especially with the faux-surround sound from Dolby Atmos tracks, but it's also paired with a surprisingly grimy 12-megapixel webcam. Its output consistently looked like it was covered in a layer of Vaseline, no matter if I was using it in a well-lit or dim environment. (And yes, I made sure the lens area wasn't dirty somehow.) Apple says it's working on a fix for the Studio Display's webcam quality, but I'm just shocked they didn't notice any issues until now.
Having Center Stage built into the Display was useful, especially if I was moving around a lot during a video call, but I can't fully judge its quality until Apple fixes the camera issues. I'm more intrigued by the potential behind the Studio Display's A13 chip, though. Twitter user "Khaos Tian" noticed that the monitor actually has 64GB of onboard storage, same as the base model of the A13-equipped iPhone 11.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
It could just be that it was easier for Apple to throw in the same storage, instead of bundling the A13 with a smaller disk. But a part of me can't help but wonder what Apple could do with that hardware. Imagine transforming the Studio Display into a true smart screen, with the ability to take FaceTime calls and stream media over AirPlay without being physically connected to a Mac. Apple is far too risk averse to throw in major new features down the line, but I'm interested to see if hardware tinkerers can work some sort of magic on the Studio Display.
I don’t blame Mac fans for being excited about the Studio Display. When you’ve been stuck in a figurative desert for years, you’d be grateful for any kind of salvation. I just wish Apple was as devoted to its loyal followers as they are to the brand. Mac users are used to paying a premium, but they still deserve a screen with modern technology and a stand that can reach eye-level without a pile of books underneath.
Would you believe Samsung has more new phones? This week, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford discuss the new Galaxy A53 5G and A33, the company’s new feature-packed mid-range phones. The A53 has a 120Hz screen, four cameras and 5G support for $450! The iPhone SE doesn’t stand a chance against it. Also, Devindra dives into his review of the Mac Studio–finally, Apple has a great desktop for creative professionals.
Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Disney+ teasers for Ms. Marvel and Obi Wan – 28:20
Working on – 41:18
Picks – 45:21
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Credits Hosts: Sam Rutherford and Devindra Hardawar Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos and Luke Brooks Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh
If you think you need the sheer power of the Mac Studio, then you probably need the Mac Studio. That's all you really need to know about Apple's squat little desktop. It fits neatly into the company's current offerings: The Studio delivers more performance than the M1 Max-powered MacBook Pros, but it costs significantly less and gives you access to all the ports you'd want from a desktop. It's basically the super-powered Mac Mini many have been waiting for. The only question for the Mac faithful: Should you get one, or wait for the Mac Pro revamp that'll surely blow it out of the water?
The answer, naturally, will depend on your budget. The Mac Studio starts at $1,999 with the M1 Max chip and jumps to $3,999 if you want to go full beast mode with the M1 Ultra. But while those prices may seem high, they're in line with PC workstations meant for editing 4K and 8K video. If it's not clear by now, the Studio isn't really targeted at mainstream consumers – that's what the Mac Mini is for. Its purpose lies in its name: It's a diminutive desktop meant for creative professionals working in something akin to a studio (or a swanky home office).
Here's what's really exciting, though: The Mac Studio is within reach for many professionals. It's more practical than the ill-fated iMac Pro, which started at $4,999 when it launched in 2017. (At the time, even we were genuinely confused about its intended audience.) That machine was unceremoniously discontinued last year, to no one's surprise. The Studio is also far more approachable than the long-awaited Mac Pro Apple introduced in 2019, a feat of industrial design with a $5,999 entry price (which could easily scale to tens of thousands of dollars). The Mac Pro was certainly an impressive beast, but it was so far removed from consumers that Apple never sold it in their retail stores.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The Mac Studio has some benefits that are obvious even before you turn it on: It doesn't take up much floor or desk space; it's easy to move around (clocking in at either 5.9 pounds for the M1 Max model or 7.9 pounds for the M1 Ultra); and its curvy aluminum case looks like something you'd find at MoMa. It's not meant to disappear into the background like the Mac Mini. No, the Studio deserves a prominent spot on your desk, a symbol that you've become a true creative professional.
Also, you'd definitely want it on your desk to get easy access to all of its ports. So many ports! Up front, there are two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections and an easily accessible microSD card slot. On the rear, they're joined with four more Thunderbolt 4 USB-C sockets, two USB Type-A connections, a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI and a headphone jack. I was shocked Apple even remembered USB Type-A exists, but I'm sure plenty of customers will be pleased that they can still use their old gear.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
My only quibble is the rear headphone jack/line out connection: It's fine if you're using speakers, but it's annoying for people who constantly need to plug and unplug their headphones, especially since it's right beside the power button. (I know several video editors who'll be particularly peeved by this.)
Apple sent along two Mac Studio models for testing: one with an M1 Max chip and 64GB of RAM, and another with the M1 Ultra chip and 128GB of RAM. (I can say with certainty there's never been this much RAM on my desk at once.) The M1 Max is pretty much the same chip that was featured on the new MacBook Pro: It has 10 CPU cores (8 8 performance cores, 2 for efficiency), a 24-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine for AI processing.
In all practical respects, the M1 Ultra is basically two M1 Max chips joined together with Apple's "UltraFusion" die-to-die interconnect. That means you can just double all of those stats: It has a 20-core CPU, 48-core GPU and a 32-core Neural Engine. The M1 Ultra can be equipped with up to 128GB of unified RAM with 800 GB/s of memory bandwidth (again, double what's possible on the M1 Max).
While Apple's custom processors were miraculous on laptops — delivering speed and power efficiency like we've never seen before with x86 CPUs — desktop workstations are a far greater challenge. AMD has been able to cram 64 cores into the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, a monstrously powerful chip with a power-hungry 280-watt TDP (thermal dynamic profile). But then again, that chip can cost well over $8,000.
Apple's more direct competition is the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X. While the company didn't offer specific details on its chip thermals, it noted that the M1 Ultra can reach up to 90 percent higher performance in the same power envelope as the "fastest 16-core PC desktop chip available." That's most likely the 5950X. Apple adds that the Ultra can match that PC chip's peak performance while using 100 watts less power.
The big takeaway: You can expect the Mac Studio to deliver a lot of performance without generating much heat or fan noise. And, for the most part, that's what I found during my testing. The M1 Ultra-powered Mac Studio achieved the highest Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23 multithreaded scores we've ever seen, all without spinning up its fan or working up a sweat. The M1 Max model, meanwhile, scored the same as the Max-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro, and well above other 10-core systems. Intel's 14- and 16-core 12th-gen chips scored slightly higher than the M1 Max in multithreaded performance, but the M1 Ultra trounced them completely.
I'm not a professional video editor, and I don't work with complex 3D models regularly. So I relied on a few Apple-provided projects to get a better sense of the Mac Studio's real-world performance: an 8K video edit in Final Cut Pro, and a 54-million voxel CT scan in Horos Mobile. I was able to export an 8K version of that 34-second video in 23 seconds on both Mac Studios (the M1 Max model took 0.2 seconds longer). There was a slightly bigger difference when exporting to 4K: the M1 Ultra Mac Studio took 23.5 seconds, while the M1 Max took an additional two seconds.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Both systems also let me rotate and explore that massive Horos Mobile CT scan without any major slowdowns. Apple's unified memory architecture is particularly helpful for large files, since it gives the GPU direct access to all of the system's RAM. PC GPUs, meanwhile, are limited by their onboard memory. NVIDIA's flagship RTX 3090 packs in 24GB of VRAM, but our Mac Studios could give Horos Mobile, or any other app, access to a big chunk of their 64GB or 128GB of RAM if necessary. That alone could make them tempting for editors working with feature-length 8K videos.
So sure, the Mac Studios can deliver a ton of performance. But there are plenty of downsides when compared to PC workstations. For one, since they're Macs, there aren't many games to play when you need some R&R. Apple Arcade titles are decent distractions, and there are a handful of older and indie Steam games that run on the Mac Studio, like Hitman and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. But you can give up hope on playing new titles like Elden Ring, or using PC VR headsets. Apple's M1 chips are based on a mobile ARM architecture, so you can't install Windows on the Mac Studio like you could with Intel-based Macs. External GPUs are also out of the question, since Apple's Silicon depends on having direct access to GPU hardware (an eGPU would just be slowed down by the Thunderbolt interface).
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
You can't upgrade the Mac Studio either, which is a bummer if you wanted to jump to faster SSDs in a few years. Their RAM is built right into the M1 chips, which means there's no physical way to expand the memory either. I'd wager many creatives wouldn't have much of a reason to upgrade anyway, though. The M1 Max model comes with 32GB of RAM by default, while the Ultra configuration has 64GB. The SSDs on both systems are also incredibly fast, delivering almost 10 Gigabytes per second read speeds and over 6 GB/s in writing performance. Those are the highest figures we've ever clocked on SSDs.
As great as the overall Mac Studio experience is, it’s hampered a bit by Apple’s accessories. The Magic Keyboard is fine to type on, but I’d still like more key depth. And the Magic Mouse is, once again, a disastrous design. You can only charge it from the bottom, and it’s simply too small for me to use comfortably. Instead, I gravitated towards the Magic Trackpad, which feels more like using one of Apple’s laptops. If you’re a PC user jumping ship to Macs, I’d recommend bringing over your favorite Logitech hardware instead.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
If you just want a powerful Mac desktop, and you're fine with the lack of upgradability, the Mac Studio will serve you well for years. But if you're concerned you may outgrow it soon, you've also got plenty of PC workstations to choose from. Intel's NUC 12 Extreme (above) is a bit larger, but it can be equipped with a full-sized graphics card and you can upgrade the RAM and SSDs as much as you want. That machine only comes as a DIY kit, but you'll be able to buy pre-configured models from third-party retailers eventually. Alternatively, you could always go for a pre-built small-form-factor PC from builders like Origin, but expect to pay more than the cheapest Mac Studio.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
As I mentioned up top, Apple's revamped Mac Pro could be a compelling option for power-hungry creators. But it would likely cost well over $6,000 at a minimum, based on the pricing for the last model and the fact that the $4,000 Mac Studio exists. At this point, the Mac Pro seems like it’s only meant for production houses or people with seriously deep pockets.
Unlike the iMac Pro, it’s easy to tell who the Mac Studio is for: People who demand power, ports and reasonably priced hardware. It's taken a while, but now Apple finally has a Mac desktop that can go toe-to-toe with PC workstations under $5,000.
