Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) vs Apple M1 Ultra (128GB)
Side-by-side local AI comparison: VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 110 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) wins for local AI inference. It has 64 GB more VRAM and 0.0% more memory bandwidth, runs 90 models natively (vs 81), and exclusively fits 9 models the other cannot.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) | Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 192 GB unified | 128 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR5 |
| Bandwidth | 800 GB/s | 800 GB/s |
| CPU cores | 24 (16P + 8E) | 20 (16P + 4E) |
| Architecture | Apple M2 Ultra | Apple M1 Ultra |
| Backend | METAL | METAL |
| Tier | Workstation | Workstation |
| Released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Models (native) | 90 | 81 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) | Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | 4.5 t/s(BF16) | 8.3 t/s(Q8_0) | +0%at Q8_0 |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 11.7 t/s(BF16) | 11.7 t/s(BF16) | +0% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 37.5 t/s(BF16) | 37.5 t/s(BF16) | +0% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 40.8 t/s(BF16) | 40.8 t/s(BF16) | +0% |
Delta is Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) relative to Apple M1 Ultra (128GB), compared at the highest quantization that fits natively on both cards.
Only Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) can run(9)
- MiniMax M3428B
- Llama 3.1 405B Instruct405B
- Llama 4 Maverick 400B400B
- Ornith 1.5 397B (MoE)396.8B
- GLM-4.7 358B358B
- GLM-4.5 355B355B
- GLM-4.6 355B355B
- GLM-5.3-Flash 320B320B
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 284B284B
Only Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models: Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) can run everything Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) can.
Both run natively(81)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 284B47.3 t/svs58.8 t/s
- Qwen3 235B-A22B (MoE)22.7 t/svs27.6 t/s
- MiniMax M2.5 229B37.9 t/svs43.8 t/s
- MiniMax M2.7 229B37.9 t/svs43.8 t/s
- Step 3.7 Flash37.9 t/svs48.7 t/s
- Step 3.5 Flash37.9 t/svs48.7 t/s
- Qwen3.8-Flash-Next53.8 t/svs65 t/s
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.112.5 t/svs17.1 t/s
- Mistral Medium 3.5 128B4.6 t/svs6.8 t/s
- Ornith 1.5 122B (MoE)36.4 t/svs42.2 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)36.4 t/svs42.2 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B25.4 t/svs29.1 t/s
- Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B25.4 t/svs28.7 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B59.3 t/svs66.9 t/s
- Llama 4 Scout 109B20 t/svs22.9 t/s
- GLM-4.5 Air 106B30.8 t/svs35.8 t/s
- +65 more on both
Which should you choose?
Choose Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) if:
- • You need to run larger models (>128 GB VRAM)
- • You want the newer architecture and longer driver support lifecycle
Choose Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) if:
- • Price or availability decides it: Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) has no VRAM, bandwidth or backend advantage over Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) or Apple M1 Ultra (128GB)?
- For local AI inference, the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) has the edge. It offers 192 GB VRAM (vs 128 GB) and 800 GB/s bandwidth (vs 800 GB/s), letting it run 90 models natively in VRAM vs 81 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) have vs the Apple M1 Ultra (128GB)?
- The Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) has 192 GB of LPDDR5 at 800 GB/s. The Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) has 128 GB of LPDDR5 at 800 GB/s. The Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) has 64 GB more VRAM, allowing it to run 9 models the Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) cannot fit natively.
- Can the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at BF16 quantization at approximately 4.5 tokens per second.
- Can the Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q8_0 quantization at approximately 8.3 tokens per second.
- What is the difference between the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) and Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) has 192 GB VRAM at 800 GB/s (METAL backend). The Apple M1 Ultra (128GB) has 128 GB VRAM at 800 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) runs 90 models natively vs 81 for the Apple M1 Ultra (128GB).