Apple M4 Max (36GB) vs Apple M3 Max (36GB)
Side-by-side local AI comparison: VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 110 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
Apple M4 Max (36GB) is faster for local AI inference, but only on memory bandwidth (36.7% more). Both GPUs have 36 GB VRAM and run the exact same 60 models natively; neither fits anything the other can't.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (36GB) | Apple M3 Max (36GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 36 GB unified | 36 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5 |
| Bandwidth | 410 GB/s(+37%) | 300 GB/s |
| CPU cores | 14 (10P + 4E) | 14 (10P + 4E) |
| Architecture | Apple M4 Max | Apple M3 Max |
| Backend | METAL | METAL |
| Tier | Laptop | Laptop |
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Models (native) | 60 | 60 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | Apple M4 Max (36GB) | Apple M3 Max (36GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 14.4 t/s(Q6_K) | 10.6 t/s(Q6_K) | +36% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 19.2 t/s(BF16) | 14.1 t/s(BF16) | +36% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 20.9 t/s(BF16) | 15.3 t/s(BF16) | +37% |
Delta is Apple M4 Max (36GB) relative to Apple M3 Max (36GB), compared at the highest quantization that fits natively on both cards.
Only Apple M4 Max (36GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models: Apple M3 Max (36GB) can run everything Apple M4 Max (36GB) can.
Only Apple M3 Max (36GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models: Apple M4 Max (36GB) can run everything Apple M3 Max (36GB) can.
Both run natively(60)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.134.2 t/svs26.8 t/s
- Flint 40B (MoE)61.5 t/svs54.8 t/s
- Command-R 35B13.6 t/svs10 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 35B-A3B (MoE)67.2 t/svs58.4 t/s
- Qwen 3.6 35B-A3B (MoE)67.2 t/svs58.4 t/s
- Ornith 1.5 35B-A3B (MoE)67.2 t/svs58.4 t/s
- Yi 1.5 34B Chat14.3 t/svs10.5 t/s
- Nanbeige4.3 33B15 t/svs11 t/s
- Qwen3 32B13.3 t/svs9.7 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 32B Instruct14.9 t/svs10.9 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B Instruct14.9 t/svs10.9 t/s
- DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B14.9 t/svs10.9 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Nano 30B53.8 t/svs47.1 t/s
- Gemma 4 31B14 t/svs10.3 t/s
- Qwen3 30B-A3B (MoE)51.2 t/svs43.8 t/s
- Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B56.7 t/svs50.2 t/s
- +44 more on both
Which should you choose?
- • Faster token generation is the priority
- • You want the newer architecture and longer driver support lifecycle
- • Price or availability decides it: Apple M3 Max (36GB) has no VRAM, bandwidth or backend advantage over Apple M4 Max (36GB)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Apple M4 Max (36GB) or Apple M3 Max (36GB)?
- For local AI inference, the Apple M4 Max (36GB) has the edge. It offers 36 GB VRAM (vs 36 GB) and 410 GB/s bandwidth (vs 300 GB/s), letting it run 60 models natively in VRAM vs 60 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Apple M4 Max (36GB) have vs the Apple M3 Max (36GB)?
- The Apple M4 Max (36GB) has 36 GB of LPDDR5X at 410 GB/s. The Apple M3 Max (36GB) has 36 GB of LPDDR5 at 300 GB/s. Both GPUs have the same VRAM amount; bandwidth determines which generates tokens faster.
- Can the Apple M4 Max (36GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- The Apple M4 Max (36GB) does not have enough VRAM to run Llama 3.3 70B.
- Can the Apple M3 Max (36GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- The Apple M3 Max (36GB) does not have enough VRAM to run Llama 3.3 70B.
- What is the difference between the Apple M4 Max (36GB) and Apple M3 Max (36GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The Apple M4 Max (36GB) has 36 GB VRAM at 410 GB/s (METAL backend). The Apple M3 Max (36GB) has 36 GB VRAM at 300 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Apple M4 Max (36GB) runs 60 models natively vs 60 for the Apple M3 Max (36GB).