Shipping delays of up to five months are affecting Apple's M3 Ultra Mac Studio, particularly its RAM upgrades. Customers ordering the remaining 256GB RAM option today can expect delivery around August or September, indicating significant supply chain challenges driven by the global memory shortage. This delay comes as demand for high-performance RAM increases due to the needs of AI servers, which has put pressure on Apple's inventory.
The $2000 upgrade from 96GB to 512GB RAM on a $4000 Mac is no longer available, as Apple recently discontinued the highest configuration. Currently, the standard model with 96GB RAM has delivery estimates of April 20 to April 27, which mirrors the high demand seen for the MacBook Neo.
Future introductions of ultra chips may face obstacles if the current memory situation persists. The 512GB RAM option was a notable feature of the M3 Ultra, while Apple's roadmap shows no M4 Ultra model and the M4 Max has been replaced by the M5 Max.