Apple · Apple M4 Max · 2025
Apple Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB for local AI
A strong used or refurbished 128GB option if priced well below the M5 Max.
Updated · Speeds marked ~ are estimates; seemethodology
- Unified memory
- 128GB
- Bandwidth
- 546 GB/s
- Power
- 480W
- Runs well
- 12 models
M4 Max 128GB
Typically $3,499 at launch
Can the M4 Max 128GB run LLMs?
The M4 Max 128GB has 128GB of unified memory (about 96GB usable by the GPU by default) and 546 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which decides how big a model fits and how fast it generates text. It comfortably runs models up to about 122B parameters: the largest in our catalog is Qwen3.5 122B-A10B at Q4_K_M (77GB with 8K context, ~31 tokens/sec).
Recommendations
Best models for the M4 Max 128GB
Best overall · also coding, reasoning, vision, largest that fits
Qwen3.5 122B-A10BQ4_K_M · 77GB · ~31 tokens/sec
Runs wellRunner-up
Qwen3.6 35B-A3BQ8_0 · 41GB · ~51 tokens/sec
Runs wellFastest good model
gpt-oss-20bMXFP4 · 15GB · ~67 tokens/sec
Runs well
Compatibility
What runs on the M4 Max 128GB
Every current model in our catalog, at the best quantization that fits in the ~96GB the GPU can use with 8K tokens of context. "Partial offload" means part of the model runs from system RAM (we assume 64GB), which is much slower.
| Model | Parameters | Best quant | Memory | Speed | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemma 4 E4B | 8B | Q8_0 | 10 GB | ~36 tok/s | Runs well |
| Qwen3.5 9B | 9B | Q8_0 | 12 GB | ~31 tok/s | Runs well |
| Phi-4 | 14.7B | Q8_0 | 18 GB | ~22 tok/s | Runs well |
| gpt-oss-20b | 20.9B (3.6B active) | MXFP4 | 15 GB | 120 tok/s | Runs well |
| Gemma 4 26B A4B | 26B (3.8B active) | Q8_0 | 30 GB | ~44 tok/s | Runs well |
| Qwen3.8 27B | 27B | Q8_0 | 32 GB | ~12 tok/s | Runs well |
| Gemma 4 31B | 31B | Q8_0 | 36 GB | ~11 tok/s | Runs well |
| Qwen3.6 35B-A3B | 35B (3B active) | Q8_0 | 41 GB | ~51 tok/s | Runs well |
| GLM-4.5-Air | 106B (12B active) | Q5_K_M | 80 GB | ~23 tok/s | Runs well |
| Llama 4 Scout | 109B (17B active) | Q5_K_M | 81 GB | ~17 tok/s | Runs well |
| gpt-oss-120b | 117B (5.1B active) | MXFP4 | 68 GB | ~58 tok/s | Runs well |
| Qwen3.5 122B-A10B | 122B (10B active) | Q4_K_M | 77 GB | ~31 tok/s | Runs well |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 284B (13B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| GLM-5.3-Flash | 320B (18B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| GLM-5.3 | 744B (40B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
Performance
M4 Max 128GB vs. alternatives on Qwen3.8 27B
Generation speed in tokens per second for a single user. Token generation is limited mostly by memory bandwidth, which is why bandwidth predicts these results so well.
M5 Max 128GB
Q8_0 · 128GB
~13tok/s
M4 Max 128GB
Q8_0 · 128GB
~12tok/s
DGX Spark
Q8_0 · 128GB
~6.9tok/s
Ryzen AI Max+ 395
Q8_0 · 128GB
~6.4tok/s
Measured
M4 Max 128GB benchmark results
| Model | Quant | Runtime | Generation | Prompt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-oss-20b | MXFP4 | llama.cpp | 120 tok/s | 1850 tok/s | llama.cpp discussion #16578: Performance of llama.cpp on NVIDIA DGX Spark · November 2025 |
| Llama 2 7B Chat | Q4_0 | llama.cpp (Metal) | 83 tok/s | 885 tok/s | llama.cpp discussion #4167: Performance of llama.cpp on Apple Silicon M-series · October 2026 |
| Llama 2 7B Chat | Q8_0 | llama.cpp (Metal) | 54 tok/s | 890 tok/s | llama.cpp discussion #4167: Performance of llama.cpp on Apple Silicon M-series · October 2026 |
| Llama 2 7B Chat | F16 | llama.cpp (Metal) | 32 tok/s | 925 tok/s | llama.cpp discussion #4167: Performance of llama.cpp on Apple Silicon M-series · October 2026 |
Our take
Should you buy the M4 Max 128GB for AI?
The 2025 Mac Studio with M4 Max, the 40-core GPU and 128GB of unified memory offers 546 GB/s of bandwidth. About 96GB is available to the GPU by default, enough for 70B models at 6 bit or gpt-oss-120b. The M5 Max replaced it in September 2026 with about 12 percent more bandwidth and faster prompt processing. It launched at $3,499 in this configuration, so a used unit is worth considering if it sells well below the M5 Max.
What we like
- 546 GB/s and 128GB in a quiet desktop
- Mature MLX and llama.cpp support
- Costs less than the M5 Max when bought used
Watch out for
- Discontinued
- Slower prompt processing than M5 chips
- No CUDA support
Best for: Budget-conscious Mac buyers who need 128GB · Running 70B models quietly
Specifications
M4 Max 128GB specs that matter for AI
- Memory
- 128GB LPDDR5X (unified)
- GPU-usable memory
- ~96GB by default
- Memory bandwidth
- 546 GB/s
- Architecture
- Apple M4 Max
- Power
- 480W (system)
- Interface
- Thunderbolt 5 (no PCIe slots)
- Released
- 2025
- Launch price
- $3,499
- Software
- Metal, MLX
macOS lets the GPU use about 75 percent of memory by default (about 96GB), and the iogpu.wired_limit_mb setting can raise it.
Sources: Apple Mac Studio (2025) tech specs, Apple Mac Studio power consumption and thermal output
Cross-shop
Alternatives to the M4 Max 128GB
Frequently asked questions
How much VRAM does the M4 Max 128GB have?
The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB has 128GB of unified memory (about 96GB usable by the GPU by default) with 546 GB/s of memory bandwidth.
What is the largest LLM the M4 Max 128GB can run?
Fully in GPU memory, the largest model in our catalog that runs comfortably is Qwen3.5 122B-A10B (122B (10B active)) at Q4_K_M, using about 77GB with 8K context at ~31 tokens/sec.
Can the M4 Max 128GB run Llama 3.3 70B?
Yes. At Q8_0 it needs about 81GB with 8K context and runs at ~4.7 tokens/sec.
What is the best LLM to run on the M4 Max 128GB?
Our top pick is Qwen3.5 122B-A10B at Q4_K_M, which fits in 128GB with room for 8K of context and runs at ~31 tokens/sec. See our full list of the best models for the M4 Max 128GB for coding, reasoning, and vision picks.
Is the M4 Max 128GB good for local AI in 2026?
A strong used or refurbished 128GB option if priced well below the M5 Max.