para-CAD Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 Thanks for the status update. I love comments from users versus “influencers”. My best action would be a loaded Studio, as you mentioned, so maybe the supply chain will be sorted out soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Gia Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 3 hours ago, JonathanK said: You're right, for an interior it's more like 5 seconds for it to completely clear, but exteriors are pretty quick. Like 3.5 seconds. But I can roll around in PBR and it's always clear enough that I can see what I'm doing or where I'm going. So, you are saying that you can bang out PBR's on the level as what AI is doing in a few seconds? Or am I misunderstanding? I understand that an NVIDEA graphic machine is lightening fast compared to any Mac but garbage is garbage. You can't compare to what AI can do in under 20 seconds on any machine. I would like to see Chief focus on stuff like material lists, staircases, wall snapping issues, poor cad tools, poor dimensioning tools and all that other stuff that although is boring and wont increase sales but is very important and the long and faithful customer base has been clamouring for since many many years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanK Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 40 minutes ago, Michael_Gia said: So, you are saying that you can bang out PBR's on the level as what AI is doing in a few seconds? Or am I misunderstanding? I understand that an NVIDEA graphic machine is lightening fast compared to any Mac but garbage is garbage. You can't compare to what AI can do in under 20 seconds on any machine. I would like to see Chief focus on stuff like material lists, staircases, wall snapping issues, poor cad tools, poor dimensioning tools and all that other stuff that although is boring and wont increase sales but is very important and the long and faithful customer base has been clamouring for since many many years. Why is this so hard for you to understand? Have you not read through the blog that CA Staff posted, specifically the benchmarks:https://www.chiefarchitect.com/blog/computer-for-design-and-gaming/#real-time-ray-tracing I agree with you regarding AI...but only regarding FINAL IMAGES. It takes me longer to generate a 3D view through AI than it does to bang out a quick PBR view for a customer to review through email. Plain and simple... But I also agree with you regarding them focusing on other items (except material lists). I have always been frustrated with the amount of cabinet tools and libraries that CA has, but a lack of window tools that they have. Why don't windows have more control over sashes, frames, jambs etc.. like how a window is actually built? Doesn't make sense to me. Same with OH doors, or walk doors, or a pile of other things like you mentioned. How about elevation views...why can't I have only the outline of the building be bold?...why is terrain so fickle?...etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 hour ago, Steve-C said: noticable drop in graphics performance This is unified memory, so without your specs its hard to say but I would venture a guess that youre hitting mem limits. Also the Pro chip is not going to be anywhere near the max chip with double the raytrace speed...for what you do, I would upgrade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 minute ago, JonathanK said: window is actually built? Doesn't make sense to me totally different development departments and different animals. It's very easy for the content team to pump out cabinet lines vs touching the extremely complex window code that none of the dev team wants to touch. (Supposedly one of the most difficult and complex bits of code in the whole software) I agree though that I would love some window improvements 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanK Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 1 minute ago, Renerabbitt said: totally different development departments and different animals. It's very easy for the content team to pump out cabinet lines vs touching the extremely complex window code that none of the dev team wants to touch. (Supposedly one of the most difficult and complex bits of code in the whole software) I agree though that I would love some window improvements I agree with you, but it would be amazing to see something big like that get an update. Lets move into 2026... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-C Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 (edited) 7 hours ago, Renerabbitt said: This is unified memory, so without your specs its hard to say but I would venture a guess that youre hitting mem limits. Also the Pro chip is not going to be anywhere near the max chip with double the raytrace speed...for what you do, I would upgrade I plan on upgrading to the Mac Studio when and if they ever release the darn thing. They have been dragging their butts on new releases for that device for years. My system has 24gb of memory, and i never use PBR images. Edited May 18 by Steve-C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 (edited) 1 hour ago, Steve-C said: I plan on upgrading to the Mac Studio when and if they ever release the darn thing. They have been dragging their butts on new releases for that device for years. My system has 24gb of memory, and i never use PBR images. yes 24gb of unified memory is really low. This is shared memory, so much of that gets hogged by loading textures regardless of raytrace being turned on or not. Thats like running with 15gb of RAM and 9 gb of VRAM..that is really low in this program especially if you are running other programs. For instance, i have 8 browser tabs open, some standard services running and chief open with no plan open and my system shows 28% utilization on 128GB of RAM Edited May 19 by Renerabbitt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-C Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 3 hours ago, Renerabbitt said: yes 24gb of unified memory is really low. This is shared memory, so much of that gets hogged by loading textures regardless of raytrace being turned on or not. Thats like running with 15gb of RAM and 9 gb of VRAM..that is really low in this program especially if you are running other programs. For instance, i have 8 browser tabs open, some standard services running and chief open with no plan open and my system shows 28% utilization on 128GB of RAM Interesting. I was unaware the memory was such an important factor of graphic performance. I suppose that makes sences because it's an SOC. So the current M4 Max Studio has a base of 64gb, would you consider that to be sufficient? I personally plan on waiting for the M5 Max version. The M5 Pro is impressive so far as was the M5 Max, but the laptop form factor was too restrictive for such a powerful chip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-C Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 17 hours ago, para-CAD said: Thanks for the status update. I love comments from users versus “influencers”. My best action would be a loaded Studio, as you mentioned, so maybe the supply chain will be sorted out soon. Speculation is the M5 Mac Studio won't be released until late this year at the soonest. The Sudio is always last on the priority list because they sell more laptops than anything else, which kinda sucks for pro users. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-C Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 (edited) Update on my MacBook Pro M5 Pro. As stated before the M5 Max chip I ordered first was too powerful for this form factor in my opninion. It would throttle and had some serious fan noise, especially when using 3D. The M5 Pro chip has had no such issues. For CA users it seems to be the sweet spot for the laptop form factor. Graphics is slightly slower (very slight) but still very solid. Looking at exported images from my Windows machine next to the Mac exports I can't even notice a difference. I originally planned to upgrade later to the M5 Max Mac Studio but I'm not sure I will do that, this thing runs very smoothly. Plus the form factor allows me to take it from my office to the house, and I have two 32" 4 k monitors at both locations. Disclaimer, my workflow is strictly construction docs. I don't use PBR, I only export standard 3D images and pfd's for clients to review. If you use PBR at any level, a Windows machine is your best bet. However, AI is changing the landscape in that world and may be an equally atractive option for Mac users (and Windows). Edited May 27 by Steve-C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 (edited) My M1 Max has 64 GB "RAM" memory and 10 Core CPU, 32 Core GPU, 4 TB SSD I was looking forward to getting the M5 Max 128 GB memory, 18 Core, 40 Core, 4 TB SSD. The M5 SSD is actually twice as fast for read-write as the M1. I've always wanted more RAM than necessary because operating at the minimum requirements sometimes causes swap files to be utilized, which is writing to and from the SSD. I monitor that kind of activity about every 10 or 15 minutes and I have never had my M1 Max ever have to create swap files because I have enough physical memory. Also, I got the 4TB SSD originally because I didn't want to be stuck with having to have external drives with me if I was mobile. And I have only used about 500 GB of space, but I'm going to check now just to be accurate. (449 GB) Nice This M1 MAX has been a stellar workhorse and I was only considering upgrading it because there are times when the spinning beach ball happens and it might take me 45 seconds for whatever's processing in the background to do its thing. Edited May 27 by para-CAD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-C Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 You might want to consider the M5 Pro. I've seen some benchmark testing where the M5 Pro is on par, and in some cases even faster than the M4 Max. As mentioned above, the over heating is definitely an issue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 On 5/18/2026 at 10:31 PM, Steve-C said: The M5 Pro is impressive so far as was the M5 Max, but the laptop form factor was too restrictive for such a powerful chip. Did you have the 14 inch or 16 inch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-C Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 On 6/1/2026 at 12:20 PM, Renerabbitt said: Did you have the 14 inch or 16 inch? I have a 16". The M5 Pro has kicked the fans on a little when I spend a decent amount of time editing in 3D but it's minimal. I will still likely upgrade to the M5 Max Mac Studio whenever they come out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-C Posted September 23 Share Posted September 23 Figured I should updated this for those looking for information. I did get the M5 Max Mac Studio with the upgraded graphics. The M5 Pro MacBook Pro performed admirably but heavy 3D editing was just too much for that form factor. I had the M5 Max in the MacBook Pro first and it was fast but way too hot for a laptop. The Mac Studio however is an absolute beast. I just tested it with my most recent insanely large house (nearly 9000 sq ft under roof). I did about 10 minutes of 3D editing, mostly roofs since that has alway been a source for heat in the laptop. The Studio ripped through it like butter, and I never even heard the fans. I did lots of panning around the house, a couple of walk-throughs, it was completely quiet and performed like a champ. Needless to say I am thrilled with my purchase. I'm also thrilled that I can add a third 32" monitor back to my setup. I did all these tests with 3-32" 4k monitors. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny_G Posted Monday at 01:52 PM Share Posted Monday at 01:52 PM On 9/23/2026 at 5:05 PM, Steve-C said: Figured I should updated this for those looking for information. I did get the M5 Max Mac Studio with the upgraded graphics. The M5 Pro MacBook Pro performed admirably but heavy 3D editing was just too much for that form factor. I had the M5 Max in the MacBook Pro first and it was fast but way too hot for a laptop. The Mac Studio however is an absolute beast. I just tested it with my most recent insanely large house (nearly 9000 sq ft under roof). I did about 10 minutes of 3D editing, mostly roofs since that has alway been a source for heat in the laptop. The Studio ripped through it like butter, and I never even heard the fans. I did lots of panning around the house, a couple of walk-throughs, it was completely quiet and performed like a champ. Needless to say I am thrilled with my purchase. I'm also thrilled that I can add a third 32" monitor back to my setup. I did all these tests with 3-32" 4k monitors. Hi Steve-C Since the Mac Studio M5 Max is on the market since roughly one month, what is your plan? I asked AI on google and this was the feedback I got (pretty impressive). Although I asked KI in English language, the answer was in German. I translated the feedback:: mac studio m5 max or m5 ultra for architects rendering? The Mac Studio with the M5 Max is more than sufficient for most architects, whereas the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra only makes sense for extreme 3D projects, massive textures, or large-scale rendering scenes. Mac Studio M5 Max • Specifications: Up to an 18-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU with 3rd-generation ray tracing, and support for up to 128 GB of unified memory (depending on the configuration). • Best suited for: • Daily CAD work, BIM modeling (e.g., Archicad, Revit via macOS/cloud, Vectorworks), and live viewports. • Standard 3D rendering (Blender, Cinema 4D, Twinmotion, Enscape) with moderate to high project detail. • Seamless workflows involving large-scale plans, PDFs, and simultaneous use of Photoshop/Illustrator. • Advantage: Offers the best price-to-performance ratio for everyday office tasks. Mac Studio M5 Ultra • Specifications: Up to a 36-core CPU, up to an 80-core GPU, and up to 512 GB of unified memory with a memory bandwidth of 1.2 TB/s. • Best suited for: • Extremely large architectural and urban planning projects that exceed the 128 GB RAM limit (e.g., massive point clouds from laser scans or highly complex, comprehensive models). • Frequent, time-critical GPU rendering (e.g., demanding Blender scenes, where the M5 Ultra can be up to 70–86% faster than the Max). • Advantage: Delivers maximum raw performance and a massive RAM capacity for projects where every second spent waiting in a render queue counts. Recommendation for Architects • Choose the M5 Max: If you work on standard-to-large-scale designs, plans, and typical visualizations. A solid amount of RAM (e.g., 64 GB or 128 GB, if configurable) will ensure you are well-equipped. • Choose the M5 Ultra if you regularly process massive amounts of data (large point clouds, gigantic comprehensive BIM models) or require maximum GPU computing power for demanding 3D engines. If you’d like, the following details would help me make the best recommendation: • Which programs do you primarily use for rendering and drafting (e.g., Enscape, Blender, Archicad, Revit, Twinmotion)? • What is the typical scale of your projects (single-family homes, large-scale developments, point clouds)? Chief Architect Premier X18, single-family and multi-family homes, file size for rendering up to 300 MB For your specific requirements in Chief Architect Premier X18 (single-family and multi-family homes with file sizes of up to 300 MB), the Mac Studio with the M5 Max chip is the perfect choice. Upgrading to the M5 Ultra is neither economically justified nor necessary in terms of performance for your use case. Here is a detailed explanation of why the M5 Max is optimally suited to your workflow: Why the M5 Max is more than sufficient for your needs M5 Max CHF 2,499.00 & other prices Apple & more File size (300 MB): For a Chief Architect project, 300 MB is a typical to substantial size for residential buildings. The M5 Max supports up to 128 GB of unified memory. For a 300 MB model—including all textures and loaded 3D libraries—a configuration with 64 GB or 128 GB of RAM is more than adequate. The data fits entirely into this high-speed memory, ensuring the system does not need to rely on slower, external storage (swapping). M5 Max CHF 2,499.00 & other prices Apple & more Project type (single-family & multi-family homes): Chief Architect is highly optimized for the efficient rendering of residential building components (walls, roofs, stairs). The M5 Max features up to 40 GPU cores, including the latest generation of hardware-accelerated ray tracing. This allows Chief Architect’s computationally intensive rendering modes—such as Physically Based Rendering (PBR) and real-time ray tracing—to run with exceptional fluidity. CPU and single-thread performance When drafting in 2D or automatically generating 3D models and wall elevations, Chief Architect benefits significantly from high single-core clock speeds. The individual performance cores of the M5 Max are identical to those of the M5 Ultra. Consequently, you will not notice any difference in speed when performing tasks like drawing or editing. [1] (https://www.apple.com/chde/newsroom/2026/08/apple-introduces-new-mac-studio-with-m5-max-and-m5-ultra/), [2] (https://www.chiefarchitect.com/), [3] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/UsersofChiefArchitect/posts/10164805237726098/) When would the M5 Ultra actually be necessary? The M5 Ultra essentially doubles the number of CPU and GPU cores (up to 80 GPU cores) and doubles the RAM limit to as much as 512 GB. In Chief Architect, this only provides a tangible benefit for: [1] (https://topix.ch/apple/mac-studio) • Gigantic projects, such as modeling entire city districts or importing massive point clouds (laser scans of sites) where file sizes reach several gigabytes. • Simultaneous rendering using extremely demanding standalone GPU-based renderers (e.g., if you are also continuously processing massive scenes in software like Twinmotion or Blender). [1] (https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/topic/49827-mac-m5-ultra-studio-vs-m5-max-studio-for-x18/) Configuration Recommendation for Your System When ordering your Mac Studio, it is better to invest your budget in RAM rather than upgrading to the Ultra chip: • Processor: M5 Max (18-core CPU, 40-core GPU). • RAM: 64 GB, or ideally 128 GB. Since memory in Apple Silicon systems cannot be upgraded later, 128 GB offers maximum future-proofing for "Version X19" projects or even more complex multi-family housing developments. • Storage: At least 1 TB or 2 TB SSD, as Chief Architect catalogs and project backups consume a significant amount of space. For presentations, do you rely exclusively on Chief Architect’s built-in render engine, or do you sometimes export your models to third-party software such as Twinmotion or Lumion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted Monday at 08:16 PM Share Posted Monday at 08:16 PM 6 hours ago, Benny_G said: I asked AI on google Perfect example of why its still better to ask the community instead of Ai The answer depends on your workflow. If you are going to be producing a bunch of high poly count models, 4M+ and need ray trace renderings for each room, then the ultra would be a better move. ALSO If you have any plans to run a local and private LLM, then the more RAM the better...and the ULTRA would again be my pic for larger LLMs(You may not need this now but you might really want it in the near future as setup becomes more user friendly) ESPECIALLY if Chief introduces AI integration which they are playing with right noww 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny_G Posted Tuesday at 07:47 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 07:47 AM Hi Renerabbitt Your feedback is highly appreciated. It is actually not that easy to predict how much the role of PBR will increase. Currently, I spend roughly 80-90 percent of my time doing 2D plans. The visualizations are mainly used when asking for building permits (quality of the rendering of minor importance) or for sales purposes in institutional investor projects. The latter obviously is very demanding work and top quality of the renderings is regarded as a competitive advantage. I was originally a PC user but when I bought CA X12 I switched to Mac. May I ask you why use PCs' and not Macs' for your work? Benny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted Tuesday at 07:00 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 07:00 PM (edited) 11 hours ago, Benny_G said: May I ask you why use PCs' and not Macs' for your work? Mainly because of all of the other programs I use and the compatibility with those programs. For Chief specific reasons from the Mac side: No Mnemonic Keys Too MUCH security(device drivers, ai tools, file access, much more) only 4 position radial menus for the 3d conexxion mouse and device driver timeout issues No DLSS in raytrace Slow raytrace ( I work in 3d views) I know you can get some programs to work in virtual machines but its just not quite the same experience or performance 261020 (2).mp4 Edited Tuesday at 07:03 PM by Renerabbitt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny_G Posted Tuesday at 08:22 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 08:22 PM Hi Renerabbitt, I appreciate very much the time and efforts you invested to provide your answer. Honestly said, you are much more advanced in what you do with video and the workflows than I am. Up to now I haven't done any video and my workflows are pretty short because I do the plan in CA X18, do the PBR and then get the result which is an image into a this tool https://app.myarchitectai.com. This is a tool for which you pay an annual flat rate. I use it without any creativity and do not want that it changes anything to the design I did. My goal is simply that the tool makes the rendering more photo-realistic. I attach two renders to better explain. My clientele today consists of roughly 50% private persons who want to build or reform a house or smaller institutional clients who build multi-family homes which are mostly sold once they are finished. The latest client is now already starting with videos in his marketing activities; but he is the first one. All other clients up to now were happy with the renderings. The question which I may obviously not answer is, if my chances to win more, bigger, more interesting projects if I had e.g. the video capacity. I haven't tried yet. I currently have three offices where I work: in my home in Switzerland, in my office in Switzerland and in my office in Spain. In all three places I have the same setup with two 27" monitors and a CalDigit Thunderbolt mini dock which allows me to connect the macbook pro to the two monitors. If I bought a PC instead of a Mac, which product and configuration would you suggest for such a setup? Thanks a lot for your help. Kind regards Benny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now