Apple M4 Max 128GB vs Apple M4 Pro 48GB for Local LLMs
The Apple M4 Max 128GB holds bigger models (96.0 GB vs 36.0 GB), and the Apple M4 Max 128GB generates tokens about 98% faster. Below: speeds on seven popular models, the models only one card can run, and our verdict.
Specs that matter for AI
| Apple M4 Max 128GB | Apple M4 Pro 48GB | |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | 128 GB unified | 48 GB unified |
| GPU-usable memory | 96.0 GB | 36.0 GB |
| Bandwidth | 546 GB/s | 273 GB/s |
| Architecture | Apple Silicon | Apple Silicon |
| Released | 2024-10 | 2024-10 |
| Llama 3.1 8B Q4_K_M | ~64 tok/s | ~32 tok/s |
Speed and fit by model
Q4_K_M (or native format) with 8K context.
| Model | VRAM | Apple M4 Max 128GB | Apple M4 Pro 48GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.1 8B | 6.3 GB | Fits ~64 tok/s | Fits ~32 tok/s |
| Qwen 3 14B | 10.5 GB | Fits ~36 tok/s | Fits ~18 tok/s |
| gpt-oss-20b | 13.9 GB | Fits ~107 tok/s | Fits ~61 tok/s |
| Qwen 3 30B-A3B | 18.8 GB | Fits ~86 tok/s | Fits ~55 tok/s |
| Qwen 3 32B | 21.4 GB | Fits ~17 tok/s | Fits ~8.4 tok/s |
| Llama 3.3 70B | 43.2 GB | Fits ~8.0 tok/s | Too small |
| gpt-oss-120b | 62.0 GB | Fits ~83 tok/s | Too small |
Verdict
The M4 Max 128GB has about 96 GB GPU-usable versus about 36 GB, and twice the bandwidth (546 vs 273 GB/s). That means 70B models, gpt-oss-120b and 100B-class MoE models on the Max, and roughly double the token speed on anything that fits both. The M4 Pro 48GB is a capable 32B-model machine at a much lower price.
Which should you buy?
Choose the Apple M4 Max 128GB if…
- You want 70B models or 100B+ MoE models.
- You want about twice the generation speed.
- This is your main AI machine for years.
Choose the Apple M4 Pro 48GB if…
- You mainly run models up to about 32B.
- Budget matters more than speed.
- You want a Mac mini for a desk or home server.
Best quality and longest context on each card
The highest-quality quantization that fits fully at 8K context, and the longest context that fits at Q4_K_M with an FP16 cache.
| Model | Apple M4 Max 128GB: best quant | Apple M4 Pro 48GB: best quant | Apple M4 Max 128GB: max context | Apple M4 Pro 48GB: max context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen 3.5 9B | FP16 / BF16 | FP16 / BF16 | 256K | 256K |
| Qwen 3 14B | FP16 / BF16 | FP16 / BF16 | 40K | 40K |
| gpt-oss-20b | MXFP4 (official) | MXFP4 (official) | 128K | 128K |
| Qwen 3.6 27B | FP16 / BF16 | Q8_0 | 256K | 256K |
| Qwen 3 32B | FP16 / BF16 | Q6_K | 40K | 40K |
| Llama 3.3 70B | Q8_0 | Q2_K | 128K | – |
Image generation
Best weight precision for image models with model swapping, at each model's default resolution. Image generation is also limited by compute, so the card with more tensor-core throughput finishes each image faster even when both fit.
| Model | Apple M4 Max 128GB | Apple M4 Pro 48GB |
|---|---|---|
| SDXL 1.0 | FP16 / BF16 | FP16 / BF16 |
| FLUX.1 [dev] | FP16 / BF16 | FP16 / BF16 |
| Qwen-Image | FP16 / BF16 | FP8 |
| Wan 2.2 A14B (T2V / I2V) | FP16 / BF16 | FP16 / BF16 |
Models only one card can run
Only Apple M4 Max 128GB
Only Apple M4 Pro 48GB
None
Frequently asked questions
Is the Apple M4 Max 128GB or Apple M4 Pro 48GB better for local LLMs?
The M4 Max 128GB has about 96 GB GPU-usable versus about 36 GB, and twice the bandwidth (546 vs 273 GB/s). That means 70B models, gpt-oss-120b and 100B-class MoE models on the Max, and roughly double the token speed on anything that fits both. The M4 Pro 48GB is a capable 32B-model machine at a much lower price.
Which is faster for LLM inference?
The Apple M4 Max 128GB, by about 98% for token generation on models that fit both (about 64 vs 32 tokens/s on Llama 3.1 8B Q4_K_M).
Which can run bigger models?
The Apple M4 Max 128GB, with 96.0 GB usable versus 36.0 GB.