AMD Instinct MI300X vs Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)
Side-by-side local AI comparison — VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 84 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
These GPUs are closely matched. Both offer 192 GB VRAM and run 70 models natively. The AMD Instinct MI300X is 563% faster at token generation due to higher memory bandwidth.
Specs comparison
| Spec | AMD Instinct MI300X | Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 192 GB | 192 GB unified |
| Memory type | HBM3 | LPDDR5 |
| Bandwidth | 5300 GB/s(+563%) | 800 GB/s |
| CPU cores | — | 24 (16P + 8E) |
| Architecture | CDNA 3 | Apple M2 Ultra |
| Backend | ROCM | METAL |
| Tier | Datacenter | Workstation |
| Released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Models (native) | 70 | 71 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | AMD Instinct MI300X | Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | 24.1 t/s(BF16) | 4.5 t/s(BF16) | +436% |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 31.7 t/s(FP32) | 5.9 t/s(FP32) | +437% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 104.2 t/s(FP32) | 19.4 t/s(FP32) | +437% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 111.6 t/s(FP32) | 20.7 t/s(FP32) | +439% |
Delta is AMD Instinct MI300X relative to Apple M2 Ultra (192GB).
Only AMD Instinct MI300X can run(0)
No exclusive models — Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) can run everything AMD Instinct MI300X can.
Only Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) can run(1)
- MiniMax M3428B
Both run natively(70)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Llama 3.1 405B Instruct21.7 t/svs4 t/s
- Llama 4 Maverick 400B134.5 t/svs25 t/s
- GLM-4.7 358B78.8 t/svs14.6 t/s
- GLM-4.5 355B78.8 t/svs14.6 t/s
- GLM-4.6 355B78.8 t/svs14.6 t/s
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 284B159.8 t/svs29.7 t/s
- Qwen3 235B-A22B (MoE)74.5 t/svs13.8 t/s
- MiniMax M2.5 229B153.9 t/svs28.6 t/s
- MiniMax M2.7 229B153.9 t/svs28.6 t/s
- Step 3.7 Flash124.7 t/svs20.2 t/s
- Step 3.5 Flash124.7 t/svs20.2 t/s
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.124.6 t/svs4.6 t/s
- Mistral Medium 3.5 128B24.8 t/svs4.6 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)91.7 t/svs17 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B79.6 t/svs14.8 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B187.5 t/svs34.8 t/s
- +54 more on both
Which should you choose?
Choose AMD Instinct MI300X if:
- • Faster token generation is the priority
Choose Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) if:
- • You're on macOS and want native Metal acceleration (MLX, llama.cpp)
- • Unified memory matters (CPU/GPU share the same pool — no data copy overhead)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the AMD Instinct MI300X or Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)?
- The AMD Instinct MI300X and Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) are closely matched for local AI. Both have 192 GB VRAM and can run the same 70 models natively. The decision comes down to bandwidth: the AMD Instinct MI300X is faster at token generation.
- How much VRAM does the AMD Instinct MI300X have vs the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB)?
- The AMD Instinct MI300X has 192 GB of HBM3 at 5300 GB/s. The Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) has 192 GB of LPDDR5 at 800 GB/s. Both GPUs have the same VRAM amount; bandwidth determines which generates tokens faster.
- Can the AMD Instinct MI300X run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The AMD Instinct MI300X runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at BF16 quantization at approximately 24.1 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 AMD Instinct MI300X and Apple M2 Ultra (192GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The AMD Instinct MI300X has 192 GB VRAM at 5300 GB/s (ROCM 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 AMD Instinct MI300X runs 70 models natively vs 71 for the Apple M2 Ultra (192GB).