Between the NUC 15 Pro and Mac Studio M4 Max, the NUC 15 Pro comes out ahead in tdp and storage, while the Mac Studio M4 Max wins on ram. Overall, the NUC 15 Pro scores 72.2 and the Mac Studio M4 Max scores 47.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The NUC 15 Pro is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 24.9 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the NUC 15 Pro if you care most about tdp and storage. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp, storage, volume.
Pick the Mac Studio M4 Max if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are ram.
Both ship with comparable thunderbolt, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the NUC 15 Pro is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why ASUS - NUC 15 Pro wins
- ▲TDP — 115.00 W less. 65 vs 180.
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 1024 GB vs 512 GB.
- ▲Volume — 3.00 L less. 0.7 vs 3.7.
Why Apple - Mac Studio M4 Max wins
- ▲RAM — 12.50% more. 36 GB vs 32 GB.
Spec comparison
Core
Form & I/O
| Spec | ASUS - NUC 15 Pro | Apple - Mac Studio M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 0.7 Llead | 3.7 L |
| Weight | 0.67 kglead | 2.74 kg |
| TDPⓘ | 65 Wlead | 180 W |
| USB ports | 6 | 6 |
| Thunderboltⓘ | true | true |
Spec-level deep dives
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