can-i-run-this-llm

GPU comparison

MacBook Pro M4 Pro (24GB) vs MacBook Air/Pro M5 (16GB) for local LLMs

How the two stack up for running open-source LLMs locally — memory, bandwidth, price, and how many of the 48 tracked models each one can run.

MacBook Pro M4 Pro (24GB)MacBook Air/Pro M5 (16GB)
Memory24.0 GB16.0 GB
Bandwidth273 GB/s153 GB/s
Price (approx)$1,999$1,099
LLMs it runs29 of 4819 of 48
Best model it runsGemma 4 31B · 11–16 tok/sDevstral Small 2 24B · 10–15 tok/s

The MacBook Pro M4 Pro (24GB) runs 10 more of the tracked models (29 vs 19), thanks to its 24.0 GB of memory. The MacBook Pro M4 Pro (24GB) has more memory bandwidth (273 GB/s), so it generates tokens faster at the same model and quant.

What the MacBook Pro M4 Pro (24GB) runs →What the MacBook Air/Pro M5 (16GB) runs →Open the calculator →