can-i-run-this-llm

GPU comparison

MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M4 Max (48GB) vs MacBook Pro / Mac mini M5 Pro (48GB) for local LLMs

How the two stack up for running open-source LLMs locally — memory, bandwidth, price, and how many of the 64 tracked models each one can run.

MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M4 Max (48GB)MacBook Pro / Mac mini M5 Pro (48GB)
Memory48.0 GB48.0 GB
Bandwidth546 GB/s307 GB/s
Price (approx)$3,199$2,299
LLMs it runs49 of 6449 of 64
Best model it runsQwen3.8 27B · 14–21 tok/sQwen3.8 27B · 14–21 tok/s

The MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M4 Max (48GB) and MacBook Pro / Mac mini M5 Pro (48GB) run the same set of tracked models; pick on price and ecosystem. The MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M4 Max (48GB) has more memory bandwidth (546 GB/s), so it generates tokens faster at the same model and quant.

What the MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M4 Max (48GB) runs →What the MacBook Pro / Mac mini M5 Pro (48GB) runs →Open the calculator →