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 110 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
Apple M3 Max (128GB) wins for local AI inference. It has 32 GB more VRAM and 0.0% more memory bandwidth, runs 81 models natively (vs 77), and exclusively fits 4 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) | 81 | 77 |
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) | 18.7 t/s(BF16) | 18.7 t/s(BF16) | +0% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 20.4 t/s(BF16) | 20.4 t/s(BF16) | +0% |
Delta is Apple M3 Max (128GB) relative to Apple M2 Max (96GB), compared at the highest quantization that fits natively on both cards.
Only Apple M3 Max (128GB) can run(4)
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(77)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Step 3.7 Flash32.1 t/svs36.1 t/s
- Step 3.5 Flash32.1 t/svs36.1 t/s
- Qwen3.8-Flash-Next49.5 t/svs54.5 t/s
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.19.5 t/svs13 t/s
- Mistral Medium 3.5 128B3.4 t/svs5 t/s
- Ornith 1.5 122B (MoE)27.1 t/svs33.1 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)27.1 t/svs33.1 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B20.2 t/svs24.6 t/s
- Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B19.9 t/svs23.6 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B45.5 t/svs53.8 t/s
- Llama 4 Scout 109B14.4 t/svs17.1 t/s
- GLM-4.5 Air 106B21.9 t/svs24 t/s
- GLM-4.6V 106B21.9 t/svs24 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
- +61 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:
- • Price or availability decides it: Apple M2 Max (96GB) has no VRAM, bandwidth or backend advantage over Apple M3 Max (128GB)
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 81 models natively in VRAM vs 77 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 4 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 81 models natively vs 77 for the Apple M2 Max (96GB).