Max mage doesn't literally mean "max mage bonuses". It's just a general term for anybody using ahrims, master wand/staff of light/chaotic staff and a mage book/arcane/farseer kite or whatever else you want to throw at it. Even if they have dragon boots and a melee helm and glory, most pkers will still consider it max mage. If you're looking for actual maximum mage bonuses though, then yeah you need that new Nex robe set and inf boots/seers ring/master wand/arcane or farseer.
Best practical "max mage" would probably be ahrims/zuriels, arcane stream, a sol/wand, and arcane spirit shield and mage book. I'm not going to say get a third age mage hat cause nobody really uses those anyways, every pker uses a neitz.
Decent would be the same thing only without arcane stream.
"Welfare" would be ahrims but ancient staff/unholy book, that's basics not max mage but its cheap and you won't splash much