Apple M3 Max (128GB) vs Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)
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 100.0% more memory bandwidth, runs 90 models natively (vs 81), and exclusively fits 9 models the other cannot.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Apple M3 Max (128GB) | Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 128 GB unified | 192 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR5 |
| Bandwidth | 400 GB/s | 800 GB/s(+100%) |
| CPU cores | 16 (12P + 4E) | 24 (16P + 8E) |
| Architecture | Apple M3 Max | Apple M2 Ultra |
| Backend | METAL | METAL |
| Tier | Laptop | Workstation |
| Released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Models (native) | 81 | 90 |
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 Ultra (192GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | 4.2 t/s(Q8_0) | 4.5 t/s(BF16) | -49%at Q8_0 |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 5.9 t/s(BF16) | 11.7 t/s(BF16) | -50% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 18.7 t/s(BF16) | 37.5 t/s(BF16) | -50% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 20.4 t/s(BF16) | 40.8 t/s(BF16) | -50% |
Delta is Apple M3 Max (128GB) relative to Apple M2 Ultra (192GB), compared at the highest quantization that fits natively on both cards.
Only Apple M3 Max (128GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models: Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) can run everything Apple M3 Max (128GB) can.
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
Both run natively(81)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 284B40.7 t/svs47.3 t/s
- Qwen3 235B-A22B (MoE)19.3 t/svs22.7 t/s
- MiniMax M2.5 229B31.2 t/svs37.9 t/s
- MiniMax M2.7 229B31.2 t/svs37.9 t/s
- Step 3.7 Flash32.1 t/svs37.9 t/s
- Step 3.5 Flash32.1 t/svs37.9 t/s
- Qwen3.8-Flash-Next49.5 t/svs53.8 t/s
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.19.5 t/svs12.5 t/s
- Mistral Medium 3.5 128B3.4 t/svs4.6 t/s
- Ornith 1.5 122B (MoE)27.1 t/svs36.4 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)27.1 t/svs36.4 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B20.2 t/svs25.4 t/s
- Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B19.9 t/svs25.4 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B45.5 t/svs59.3 t/s
- Llama 4 Scout 109B14.4 t/svs20 t/s
- GLM-4.5 Air 106B21.9 t/svs30.8 t/s
- +65 more on both
Which should you choose?
Choose Apple M3 Max (128GB) if:
- • Price or availability decides it: Apple M3 Max (128GB) has no VRAM, bandwidth or backend advantage over Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)
Choose Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) if:
- • You need to run larger models (>128 GB VRAM)
- • Faster token generation is the priority
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Apple M3 Max (128GB) or Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)?
- 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 400 GB/s), letting it run 90 models natively in VRAM vs 81 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Apple M3 Max (128GB) have vs the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)?
- The Apple M3 Max (128GB) has 128 GB of LPDDR5 at 400 GB/s. The Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) has 192 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 M3 Max (128GB) 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 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.
- What is the difference between the Apple M3 Max (128GB) and Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) 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 Ultra (192GB) has 192 GB VRAM at 800 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Apple M3 Max (128GB) runs 81 models natively vs 90 for the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB).