GPU comparison
MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M5 Max (128GB) vs Mac Studio M5 Ultra (256GB) 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 M5 Max (128GB) | Mac Studio M5 Ultra (256GB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | 128.0 GB | 256.0 GB |
| Bandwidth | 614 GB/s | 1228 GB/s |
| Price (approx) | $5,099 | $9,499 |
| LLMs it runs | 57 of 64 | 60 of 64 |
| Best model it runs | Qwen3.8 Flash Next (MoE) · 79–118 tok/s | GLM-5.3 Flash (MoE) · 61–91 tok/s |
The Mac Studio M5 Ultra (256GB) runs 3 more of the tracked models (60 vs 57), thanks to its 256.0 GB of memory. The Mac Studio M5 Ultra (256GB) has more memory bandwidth (1228 GB/s), so it generates tokens faster at the same model and quant.