LLM for Mac answers which local model fits which Mac. Every memory figure on a page is either quoted from Apple, a model card, or a vendor doc, or computed with the formula on methodology.
PC and GPU builds, including VRAM tiers, are on llmhardwareguide.com.
Fit and choice
- how-much-ram-for-local-llm: the formula, with worked Qwen2.5 sizes.
- what-fits-my-ram: a picker and the same arithmetic in a table.
- best-local-llm-for-mac: which cited models land under 16, 32, 36, 64, and 128 GB.
- which-mac-for-local-llm: Mac Studio, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini from Apple’s spec pages.
- can-macbook-air-run-llm: the current MacBook Air spec page.
Formats and apps
- mlx-vs-gguf
- lm-studio-vs-ollama-mac
- run-llm-on-mac: Ollama, LM Studio, mlx-lm, and llama.cpp from their docs.
- index: the install-notes folder.