can-i-run-this-llm

GPU comparison

MacBook Air/Pro M4 (16GB) vs MacBook Pro M5 Pro (64GB) for local LLMs

How the two stack up for running open-source LLMs locally — memory, bandwidth, price, and how many of the 34 tracked models each one can run.

MacBook Air/Pro M4 (16GB)MacBook Pro M5 Pro (64GB)
Memory16.0 GB64.0 GB
Bandwidth120 GB/s307 GB/s
Price (approx)$1,199$3,399
LLMs it runs13 of 3426 of 34
Best model it runsDevstral Small 2 24B · 8–12 tok/sGemma 4 31B · 12–18 tok/s

The MacBook Pro M5 Pro (64GB) runs 13 more of the tracked models (26 vs 13), thanks to its 64.0 GB of memory. The MacBook Pro M5 Pro (64GB) has more memory bandwidth (307 GB/s), so it generates tokens faster at the same model and quant.

What the MacBook Air/Pro M4 (16GB) runs →What the MacBook Pro M5 Pro (64GB) runs →Open the calculator →