Apple M4 Max (64GB) vs Apple M3 Max (64GB)
Side-by-side local AI comparison — VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 70 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
Apple M4 Max (64GB) wins for local AI inference. It has 37% more memory bandwidth, runs 54 models natively (vs 54), and exclusively fits 0 models the other cannot.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (64GB) | Apple M3 Max (64GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 64 GB unified | 64 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5 |
| Bandwidth | 546 GB/s(+37%) | 400 GB/s |
| CPU cores | 16 (12P + 4E) | 16 (12P + 4E) |
| Architecture | Apple M4 Max | Apple M3 Max |
| Backend | METAL | METAL |
| Tier | Laptop | Laptop |
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Models (native) | 54 | 54 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | Apple M4 Max (64GB) | Apple M3 Max (64GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | 12.5 t/s(Q5_K_M) | 9.1 t/s(Q5_K_M) | +37% |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 20.2 t/s(Q8) | 14.8 t/s(Q8) | +36% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 34.1 t/s(FP16) | 25 t/s(FP16) | +36% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 35.9 t/s(FP16) | 26.3 t/s(FP16) | +37% |
Delta is Apple M4 Max (64GB) relative to Apple M3 Max (64GB).
Only Apple M4 Max (64GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models — Apple M3 Max (64GB) can run everything Apple M4 Max (64GB) can.
Only Apple M3 Max (64GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models — Apple M4 Max (64GB) can run everything Apple M3 Max (64GB) can.
Both run natively(54)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.151.3 t/svs37.6 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)150.2 t/svs110 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B125.1 t/svs91.7 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B300.3 t/svs220 t/s
- Llama 4 Scout 109B88.3 t/svs64.7 t/s
- GLM-4.5 Air 106B125.1 t/svs91.7 t/s
- GLM-4.6V 106B125.1 t/svs91.7 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct12.1 t/svs8.9 t/s
- Llama 3.3 70B Instruct12.5 t/svs9.1 t/s
- DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B12.5 t/svs9.1 t/s
- Llama 3.1 70B Instruct12.5 t/svs9.1 t/s
- Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.146.6 t/svs34.1 t/s
- Command-R 35B15.6 t/svs11.4 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 35B-A3B (MoE)200.2 t/svs146.7 t/s
- Qwen 3.6 35B15.6 t/svs11.4 t/s
- Yi 1.5 34B Chat15.9 t/svs11.6 t/s
- +38 more on both
Which should you choose?
Choose Apple M4 Max (64GB) if:
- • Faster token generation is the priority
- • You want the newer architecture and longer driver support lifecycle
Choose Apple M3 Max (64GB) if:
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Apple M4 Max (64GB) or Apple M3 Max (64GB)?
- For local AI inference, the Apple M4 Max (64GB) has the edge. It offers 64 GB VRAM (vs 64 GB) and 546 GB/s bandwidth (vs 400 GB/s), letting it run 54 models natively in VRAM vs 54 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Apple M4 Max (64GB) have vs the Apple M3 Max (64GB)?
- The Apple M4 Max (64GB) has 64 GB of LPDDR5X at 546 GB/s. The Apple M3 Max (64GB) has 64 GB of LPDDR5 at 400 GB/s. Both GPUs have the same VRAM amount; bandwidth determines which generates tokens faster.
- Can the Apple M4 Max (64GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M4 Max (64GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q5_K_M quantization at approximately 12.5 tokens per second.
- Can the Apple M3 Max (64GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M3 Max (64GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q5_K_M quantization at approximately 9.1 tokens per second.
- What is the difference between the Apple M4 Max (64GB) and Apple M3 Max (64GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The Apple M4 Max (64GB) has 64 GB VRAM at 546 GB/s (METAL backend). The Apple M3 Max (64GB) has 64 GB VRAM at 400 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Apple M4 Max (64GB) runs 54 models natively vs 54 for the Apple M3 Max (64GB).