can-i-run-this-llm

GPU comparison

MacBook Air/Pro M5 (32GB) vs Mac mini M6 (16GB) 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 Air/Pro M5 (32GB)Mac mini M6 (16GB)
Memory32.0 GB16.0 GB
Bandwidth153 GB/s153 GB/s
Price (approx)$1,499$899
LLMs it runs47 of 6427 of 64
Best model it runsQwen3.8 27B · 9–13 tok/sDevstral Small 2 24B · 10–15 tok/s

The MacBook Air/Pro M5 (32GB) runs 20 more of the tracked models (47 vs 27), thanks to its 32.0 GB of memory.

What the MacBook Air/Pro M5 (32GB) runs →What the Mac mini M6 (16GB) runs →Open the calculator →