can-i-run-this-llm

GPU comparison

MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M5 Max (128GB) vs Mac mini M6 (24GB) 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 mini M6 (24GB)
Memory128.0 GB24.0 GB
Bandwidth614 GB/s170 GB/s
Price (approx)$5,099$1,099
LLMs it runs57 of 6445 of 64
Best model it runsQwen3.8 Flash Next (MoE) · 79–118 tok/sQwen3.8 27B · 10–15 tok/s

The MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M5 Max (128GB) runs 12 more of the tracked models (57 vs 45), thanks to its 128.0 GB of memory. The MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M5 Max (128GB) has more memory bandwidth (614 GB/s), so it generates tokens faster at the same model and quant.

What the MacBook Pro / Mac Studio M5 Max (128GB) runs →What the Mac mini M6 (24GB) runs →Open the calculator →