AMD Strix Halo (96GB) vs Apple M3 Ultra (96GB)
Side-by-side local AI comparison: VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 110 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) is faster for local AI inference, but only on memory bandwidth (219.9% more). Both GPUs have 96 GB VRAM and run the exact same 77 models natively; neither fits anything the other can't. Note: AMD Strix Halo (96GB) uses VULKAN while Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) uses METAL; software ecosystem matters for your framework.
Specs comparison
| Spec | AMD Strix Halo (96GB) | Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 96 GB unified | 96 GB unified |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| Bandwidth | 256 GB/s | 819 GB/s(+220%) |
| CPU cores | 16-core Zen 5 (Ryzen AI Max+ 395), Radeon 8060S iGPU (40 CUs) | 28 (20P + 8E) |
| Architecture | RDNA 3.5 | Apple M3 Ultra |
| Backend | VULKAN | METAL |
| Tier | Laptop | Workstation |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
| Models (native) | 77 | 77 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | AMD Strix Halo (96GB) | Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | 2.9 t/s(Q8_0) | 8.5 t/s(Q8_0) | -66% |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 4.1 t/s(BF16) | 12 t/s(BF16) | -66% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 12.9 t/s(BF16) | 38.4 t/s(BF16) | -66% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 14 t/s(BF16) | 41.8 t/s(BF16) | -67% |
Delta is AMD Strix Halo (96GB) relative to Apple M3 Ultra (96GB), compared at the highest quantization that fits natively on both cards.
Only AMD Strix Halo (96GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models: Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) can run everything AMD Strix Halo (96GB) can.
Only Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) can run(0)
No exclusive models: AMD Strix Halo (96GB) can run everything Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) can.
Both run natively(77)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Step 3.7 Flash29.9 t/svs53.8 t/s
- Step 3.5 Flash29.9 t/svs53.8 t/s
- Qwen3.8-Flash-Next50.8 t/svs69.7 t/s
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.19.8 t/svs22.8 t/s
- Mistral Medium 3.5 128B3.4 t/svs10.2 t/s
- Ornith 1.5 122B (MoE)27.3 t/svs49.6 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 122B-A10B (MoE)27.3 t/svs49.6 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Super 120B21.7 t/svs33.6 t/s
- Nemotron 3.5 Super VL 120B-A12B20.6 t/svs32.7 t/s
- GPT-OSS 120B46.2 t/svs76.2 t/s
- Llama 4 Scout 109B13.8 t/svs26.7 t/s
- GLM-4.5 Air 106B18.8 t/svs39.2 t/s
- GLM-4.6V 106B18.8 t/svs39.2 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct3.6 t/svs10.6 t/s
- Llama 3.3 70B Instruct2.9 t/svs8.5 t/s
- DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B2.9 t/svs8.5 t/s
- +61 more on both
Which should you choose?
- • Price or availability decides it: AMD Strix Halo (96GB) has no VRAM, bandwidth or backend advantage over Apple M3 Ultra (96GB)
- • Faster token generation is the priority
- • You're on macOS and want native Metal acceleration (MLX, llama.cpp)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the AMD Strix Halo (96GB) or Apple M3 Ultra (96GB)?
- For local AI inference, the Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) has the edge. It offers 96 GB VRAM (vs 96 GB) and 819 GB/s bandwidth (vs 256 GB/s), letting it run 77 models natively in VRAM vs 77 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the AMD Strix Halo (96GB) have vs the Apple M3 Ultra (96GB)?
- The AMD Strix Halo (96GB) has 96 GB of LPDDR5X at 256 GB/s. The Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) has 96 GB of LPDDR5X at 819 GB/s. Both GPUs have the same VRAM amount; bandwidth determines which generates tokens faster.
- Can the AMD Strix Halo (96GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The AMD Strix Halo (96GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q8_0 quantization at approximately 2.9 tokens per second.
- Can the Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) run Llama 3.3 70B?
- Yes. The Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) runs Llama 3.3 70B natively at Q8_0 quantization at approximately 8.5 tokens per second.
- What is the difference between the AMD Strix Halo (96GB) and Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The AMD Strix Halo (96GB) has 96 GB VRAM at 256 GB/s (VULKAN backend). The Apple M3 Ultra (96GB) has 96 GB VRAM at 819 GB/s (METAL backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The AMD Strix Halo (96GB) runs 77 models natively vs 77 for the Apple M3 Ultra (96GB).