Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) vs Apple M4 Max (128GB)
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 Ultra (192GB) wins for local AI inference. It has 64 GB more VRAM and 100% more memory bandwidth, runs 64 models natively (vs 61), and exclusively fits 3 models the other cannot.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) | Apple M4 Max (128GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 192 GB unified | 128 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| Bandwidth | 1092 GB/s(+100%) | 546 GB/s |
| CPU cores | 32 (24P + 8E) | 16 (12P + 4E) |
| Architecture | Apple M4 Ultra | Apple M4 Max |
| Backend | METAL | METAL |
| Tier | Workstation | Laptop |
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
| 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 M4 Ultra (192GB) | Apple M4 Max (128GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | 7.8 t/s(FP16) | 7.8 t/s(Q8) | +0% |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 20.2 t/s(FP16) | 10.1 t/s(FP16) | +100% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 68.3 t/s(FP16) | 34.1 t/s(FP16) | +100% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 71.8 t/s(FP16) | 35.9 t/s(FP16) | +100% |
Delta is Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) relative to Apple M4 Max (128GB).
Only Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) can run(3)
Only Apple M4 Max (128GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models — Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) can run everything Apple M4 Max (128GB) can.
Both run natively(61)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- GLM-4.7 358B93.8 t/svs62.6 t/s
- GLM-4.5 355B93.8 t/svs62.6 t/s
- GLM-4.6 355B93.8 t/svs62.6 t/s
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 284B184.8 t/svs154 t/s
- Qwen3 235B-A22B (MoE)87.4 t/svs68.3 t/s
- MiniMax M2.5 229B192.2 t/svs150.2 t/s
- MiniMax M2.7 229B192.2 t/svs150.2 t/s
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.130.8 t/svs20.5 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)120.1 t/svs80.1 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B100.1 t/svs66.7 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B240.2 t/svs160.2 t/s
- Llama 4 Scout 109B70.7 t/svs47.1 t/s
- GLM-4.5 Air 106B100.1 t/svs50.1 t/s
- GLM-4.6V 106B100.1 t/svs50.1 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct7.6 t/svs7.6 t/s
- Llama 3.3 70B Instruct7.8 t/svs7.8 t/s
- +45 more on both
Which should you choose?
Choose Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) if:
- • You need to run larger models (>128 GB VRAM)
- • Faster token generation is the priority
- • You want the newer architecture and longer driver support lifecycle
Choose Apple M4 Max (128GB) if:
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) or Apple M4 Max (128GB)?
- For local AI inference, the Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) has the edge. It offers 192 GB VRAM (vs 128 GB) and 1092 GB/s bandwidth (vs 546 GB/s), letting it run 64 models natively in VRAM vs 61 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) have vs the Apple M4 Max (128GB)?
- The Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) has 192 GB of LPDDR5X at 1092 GB/s. The Apple M4 Max (128GB) has 128 GB of LPDDR5X at 546 GB/s. The Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) has 64 GB more VRAM, allowing it to run 3 models the Apple M4 Max (128GB) cannot fit natively.
- Can the Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at FP16 quantization at approximately 7.8 tokens per second.
- Can the Apple M4 Max (128GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M4 Max (128GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q8 quantization at approximately 7.8 tokens per second.
- What is the difference between the Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) and Apple M4 Max (128GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) has 192 GB VRAM at 1092 GB/s (METAL backend). The Apple M4 Max (128GB) has 128 GB VRAM at 546 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Apple M4 Ultra (192GB) runs 64 models natively vs 61 for the Apple M4 Max (128GB).