Apple M3 Max (128GB) vs Apple M2 Max (96GB)
Side-by-side local AI comparison — VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 84 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
Apple M3 Max (128GB) wins for local AI inference. It has 32 GB more VRAM and 0% more memory bandwidth, runs 64 models natively (vs 61), and exclusively fits 3 models the other cannot.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Apple M3 Max (128GB) | Apple M2 Max (96GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 128 GB unified | 96 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR5 |
| Bandwidth | 400 GB/s | 400 GB/s |
| CPU cores | 16 (12P + 4E) | 12 (8P + 4E) |
| Architecture | Apple M3 Max | Apple M2 Max |
| Backend | METAL | METAL |
| Tier | Laptop | Laptop |
| Released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Models (native) | 64 | 61 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | Apple M3 Max (128GB) | Apple M2 Max (96GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | 4.2 t/s(Q8_0) | 4.2 t/s(Q8_0) | +0% |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 5.9 t/s(BF16) | 5.9 t/s(BF16) | +0% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 9.7 t/s(FP32) | 9.7 t/s(FP32) | +0% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 10.4 t/s(FP32) | 10.4 t/s(FP32) | +0% |
Delta is Apple M3 Max (128GB) relative to Apple M2 Max (96GB).
Only Apple M3 Max (128GB) can run(3)
Only Apple M2 Max (96GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models — Apple M3 Max (128GB) can run everything Apple M2 Max (96GB) can.
Both run natively(61)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Step 3.7 Flash16.7 t/svs20.7 t/s
- Step 3.5 Flash16.7 t/svs20.7 t/s
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.13.4 t/svs5 t/s
- Mistral Medium 3.5 128B3.4 t/svs5 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)10.8 t/svs14.3 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B9.5 t/svs12.7 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B22.4 t/svs30 t/s
- Llama 4 Scout 109B6.5 t/svs8.6 t/s
- GLM-4.5 Air 106B9.3 t/svs10.7 t/s
- GLM-4.6V 106B9.3 t/svs10.7 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct4 t/svs5.2 t/s
- Llama 3.3 70B Instruct4.2 t/svs4.2 t/s
- DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B4.2 t/svs4.2 t/s
- Llama 3.1 70B Instruct4.2 t/svs4.2 t/s
- Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.13.7 t/svs6.8 t/s
- Command-R 35B4 t/svs6.7 t/s
- +45 more on both
Which should you choose?
Choose Apple M3 Max (128GB) if:
- • You need to run larger models (>96 GB VRAM)
Choose Apple M2 Max (96GB) if:
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Apple M3 Max (128GB) or Apple M2 Max (96GB)?
- For local AI inference, the Apple M3 Max (128GB) has the edge. It offers 128 GB VRAM (vs 96 GB) and 400 GB/s bandwidth (vs 400 GB/s), letting it run 64 models natively in VRAM vs 61 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Apple M3 Max (128GB) have vs the Apple M2 Max (96GB)?
- The Apple M3 Max (128GB) has 128 GB of LPDDR5 at 400 GB/s. The Apple M2 Max (96GB) has 96 GB of LPDDR5 at 400 GB/s. The Apple M3 Max (128GB) has 32 GB more VRAM, allowing it to run 3 models the Apple M2 Max (96GB) cannot fit natively.
- Can the Apple M3 Max (128GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M3 Max (128GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q8_0 quantization at approximately 4.2 tokens per second.
- Can the Apple M2 Max (96GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M2 Max (96GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q8_0 quantization at approximately 4.2 tokens per second.
- What is the difference between the Apple M3 Max (128GB) and Apple M2 Max (96GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The Apple M3 Max (128GB) has 128 GB VRAM at 400 GB/s (METAL backend). The Apple M2 Max (96GB) has 96 GB VRAM at 400 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Apple M3 Max (128GB) runs 64 models natively vs 61 for the Apple M2 Max (96GB).