GPU comparison
MacBook Pro M5 Max (36GB) vs MacBook Pro M5 Max (128GB) 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 Pro M5 Max (36GB) | MacBook Pro M5 Max (128GB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | 36.0 GB | 128.0 GB |
| Bandwidth | 460 GB/s | 614 GB/s |
| Price (approx) | $3,599 | $5,099 |
| LLMs it runs | 25 of 34 | 30 of 34 |
| Best model it runs | Gemma 4 31B · 15–22 tok/s | Gemma 4 31B · 14–22 tok/s |
The MacBook Pro M5 Max (128GB) runs 5 more of the tracked models (30 vs 25), thanks to its 128.0 GB of memory. The MacBook Pro M5 Max (128GB) has more memory bandwidth (614 GB/s), so it generates tokens faster at the same model and quant.