Apple's most powerful compact desktop. 20-core GPU, 128GB unified memory, and multi-GPU-like performance for demanding local AI workloads. Run Llama 3.1 70B with extended context windows.
Price
From $1,999
CPU
Apple M4 Max (12-core CPU)
GPU
Apple M4 Max (20-core GPU)
Neural Engine
16-core Neural Engine
Unified Memory
36GB / 64GB / 128GB
Storage
512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 8TB SSD
TDP
~70W (efficient)
Noise Level
Silent (fanless design)
Token generation speed (tok/s) at batch size 1.
| System | Llama 3.1 70B Q4 | Llama 3.1 70B Q2 | Llama 3.1 8B Q4 | Codestral 22B Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Mini M4 Max (128GB) | ~22 tok/s | ~35 tok/s | ~180 tok/s | ~55 tok/s |
| Mac Mini M4 Max (64GB) | ~18 tok/s | ~28 tok/s | ~160 tok/s | ~45 tok/s |
| RTX 4090 (24GB) | ~35 tok/s | ~50 tok/s | ~400 tok/s | ~75 tok/s |
| Model | Quantization | Memory Required | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.1 70B | Q4_0, Q5_1, Q2_K | 36GB minimum | Excellent |
| Llama 3.1 405B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 128GB recommended | Works (quantized) |
| Llama 3.2 1B/3B | Q4_0 | 36GB minimum | Excellent |
| Mistral 7B | Q4_0 - Q8_0 | 36GB minimum | Excellent |
| Mixtral 8x22B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 64GB+ recommended | Works great |
| Codestral 22B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 36GB minimum | Excellent |
| Gemma 2 27B | Q4_0 | 64GB+ recommended | Works great |
| Qwen 2.5 72B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 64GB+ recommended | Works great |
| Model | Max Context | Recommended RAM | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.1 70B | 64K-128K | 64GB+ | Excellent for RAG |
| Qwen 2.5 72B | 128K | 64GB+ | Strong reasoning |
| Mistral Large 2 | 128K | 64GB+ | Multilingual |
| Category | Mac Mini M4 Max | NVIDIA RTX 4090 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (complete system) | $1,999+ (all-in-one) | $2,500-3,500 (GPU + PC build) | Mac Mini |
| Memory bandwidth | 546GB/s (max config) | 1TB/s (RTX 4090) | NVIDIA |
| Noise | Silent (passive cooling) | 35-45dB (fans) | Mac Mini |
| 70B model support | Q4 quantization (64GB+) | Q4/Q5 (24GB VRAM) | NVIDIA (full precision) |
| Power consumption | ~70W max | 450W | Mac Mini |
| 128GB+ memory option | Yes (up to 128GB) | No (24GB VRAM max) | Mac Mini |
Choose Mac Mini M4 Max if: You need a silent, compact workstation with massive unified memory for RAG and long context.
Choose RTX 4090 if: You need maximum throughput for fine-tuning or running unquantized 70B+ models.
Yes. Its higher unified memory tiers are well suited for larger quantized models and long-context local workloads.
Choose M4 Max when you need more memory headroom, longer context windows, or higher sustained throughput for heavier models.
Check your target model requirements and run compatibility checks to confirm memory fit and expected speed for your workloads.
The Mac Mini M4 Max (64GB) offers the best balance for most power users.