First thing I'm wondering about. There are two processor options. Both are 10-core CPU and 16-core Neural engine. However the standard base model GPU is 24-core and for $200 more you get a 32-core GPU. My thought is this doesn't really matter for DP so much and audio apps. But I might want to be running several external monitors. (I realize a hub and dongles are in my future). Does that affect how many external displays (or the total resolution) you can run?
Right now I'm running off my HD 7950 card:
• 43" Samsung 4K TV (main monitor) (3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz) connected via mDP>HDMI adapter
• 30" Apple Cinema HD Display (2560 x 1600 @ ??Hz) connected via dual link DVI
• HD TV (1920 x 1080) connected via mDP>HDMI adapter
I found an Active USB-C to dual-link DVI adapter that looks like it would work with my Cinema Display but it's not cheap. $94
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VF1PP8T?re ... DPT6QM3NAF
Seems like I'm bordering on territory where just getting newer monitors would make sense, but I'm trying not to break the bank here, as I'm going to need new audio and MIDI interfaces, too.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
All of that, I'm assuming, should be able to run those with proper dongles no problem with the base model 24-core GPU
But what I would LIKE run is this:
(1) 43" Samsung 4K TV (main monitor) (3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz)
(2) 30" Apple Cinema HD Display (DVI) (2560 x 1600 @ ??Hz)
(3) 4K TV (3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz) on opposite wall for synch'd movies
(4) Another monitor, possibly a second 30" Apple Cinema HD (that I already own in my office)
So I guess, all of that should STILL run just fine on the base model M1 Max with the 24-core GPU, yes?
Then there's the $400 bump to go from 32GB RAM to 64GB.
Then to go from the 512GB SSD to 1TB is $200
Then to go from 1TB to 2TB, is it another $200? No. It's another $400!!
That's something I really don't get. 1TB = $200 upcharge. 2TB (double) is $600!!
So if you go with the base M1 Max with 64GB and 1TB SSD you're looking at $2,600.
Then of course the hubs, dongles, external drive enclosures, etc. By the time I buy an enclosure to put my move my two 1TB SSDs over from my MacPro5,1 maybe I should have spent money on more internal drive space. As I recall, since I got them for the MacPro, they're only 3G as I recall. I still have up 3 8TB external USB 3.0 drives for Time Machine backup. Which makes me wonder anyway... for audio, just how fast do you need drives to be anyway?
Ugh... this is just going to be the most expensive transition in Apple history it feels like.