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Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB vs Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB

For running models locally, priced in the US. At 64k context the first runs 40 models fully in memory, the second 34.

In short

The Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB has more memory for models: 128 GB against 64 GB. At 64k context the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB runs 40 of the models we track fully in memory and the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB 34; only the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB holds Qwen 3.8 Flash Next. On the models both run fully in memory, the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB and the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB are about as fast as each other (estimated). In the US the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB costs $5,800 at eBay and the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB $3,400 at eBay: the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB is $2,400 cheaper.

Updated . Speeds are estimates; how they are worked out.

Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB

$5,800

eBay

Add to build
Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB

$3,400

eBay

Add to build

Specifications

SpecMac Studio M4 Max 128GBMac Studio M4 Max 64GB
ChipApple M4 Max (40-core GPU)Apple M4 Max (40-core GPU)
Memory bus512-bit512-bit
Memory bandwidth546 GB/s546 GB/s
FP16 compute16.16 TFLOPS16.16 TFLOPS
SoftwareMetalMetal
Unified memory128 GB64 GB
GPU can use by default96 GB48 GB
GPU can use, tuned120 GB56 GB
Operating systemmacosmacos
ProcessorM4 Max 16-coreM4 Max 16-core
Storage1000 GB1000 GB

What each runs

Estimated decode speed with the most precise quant that fits each one est.

ModelMac Studio M4 Max 128GBMac Studio M4 Max 64GB
Qwen 3.8 Flash Next7tok/sUD-Q3_K_XLwon't run
Qwen 3.8 27B11tok/sQ8_011tok/sQ8_0
MiniMax M2.711tok/sUD-Q2_K_XLwon't run
Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B24tok/sQ5_K_M42tok/sUD-Q2_K_XL
Qwen 3.6 27B11tok/sQ8_011tok/sQ8_0
gpt-oss 120B38tok/sMXFP4won't run
Qwen3 Coder Next37tok/sQ8_053tok/sQ4_K_M
Nemotron 3 Super 120B-A12B24tok/sUD-Q4_K_Mwon't run
Gemma 4 31B9tok/sQ8_09tok/sQ8_0
Mistral Small 4 119B29tok/sUD-Q6_K55tok/sUD-Q2_K_XL
Qwen 3.6 35B-A3B48tok/sQ8_048tok/sQ8_0
Qwen 3.5 27B11tok/sQ8_011tok/sQ8_0
Gemma 4 26B-A4B37tok/sQ8_037tok/sQ8_0
GLM 4.5 Air8tok/sQ5_K_Mwon't run
Qwen 3.5 35B-A3B48tok/sQ8_048tok/sQ8_0
Qwen3 Next 80B-A3B44tok/sQ8_061tok/sQ4_K_M
GLM 4.7 Flash24tok/sQ8_024tok/sQ8_0
Devstral Small 2 24B10tok/sQ8_010tok/sQ8_0
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B56tok/sUD-Q6_K_XL56tok/sUD-Q6_K_XL
Kimi Linear 48B-A3B57tok/sQ8_070tok/sQ6_K
gpt-oss 20B53tok/sMXFP453tok/sMXFP4
Qwen3 Coder 30B-A3B22tok/sQ8_022tok/sQ8_0
Qwen3 32B7tok/sQ8_08tok/sQ6_K
Gemma 4 12B25tok/sQ8_025tok/sQ8_0
Qwen 3.5 9B30tok/sQ8_030tok/sQ8_0
Gemma 3 27B10tok/sQ8_010tok/sQ8_0
Mistral Small 3.2 24B10tok/sQ8_010tok/sQ8_0
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B7tok/sQ8_08tok/sQ6_K
Llama 3.3 70B4tok/sQ8_0won't run
Ministral 3 14B14tok/sQ8_014tok/sQ8_0
Qwen3 14B13tok/sQ8_013tok/sQ8_0
DeepSeek R1 0528 Qwen3 8B19tok/sQ8_019tok/sQ8_0
Qwen3 8B19tok/sQ8_019tok/sQ8_0
Phi-4 14B12tok/sQ8_012tok/sQ8_0
Qwen 3.5 4B53tok/sQ8_053tok/sQ8_0
Ministral 3 8B20tok/sQ8_020tok/sQ8_0
Granite 4.2 8B18tok/sQ8_018tok/sQ8_0
Gemma 4 E4B35tok/sQ8_035tok/sQ8_0
LFM2.5 8B-A1B50tok/sQ8_050tok/sQ8_0
Llama 3.1 8B23tok/sQ6_K23tok/sQ6_K
DeepSeek V4 Flashwon't runwon't run
GLM 5.3 Flashwon't runwon't run

Questions

Which is better for local AI, the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB or the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB?
Choose the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB to run bigger models. Choose the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB to spend less.
Which can run bigger models, the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB or the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB?
At 64k context the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB runs 40 of the models we track fully in memory and the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB 34; only the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB holds Qwen 3.8 Flash Next.
Which is faster for local AI, the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB or the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB?
On the models both run fully in memory, the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB and the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB are about as fast as each other (estimated).
What is the price difference between the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB and the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB?
In the US the Mac Studio M4 Max 128GB costs $5,800 at eBay and the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB $3,400 at eBay: the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB is $2,400 cheaper.

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