The best local LLM for a Mac Studio M2 Max (32 GB) is Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B at 105 tok/s (estimated). With 32 GB of unified memory it runs 45 of the models in the LLMCheck index — from compact options up to 35B-class models. For everyday chat and coding, Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B is the sweet spot. Full ranking below.
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Ranked by LLMCheck suitability (capability balanced against speed on the M2 Max). Click a model for its full benchmark and setup. Every speed carries its provenance mark: most are index estimates from the memory-bandwidth model, and a filled square is a published measurement — submit a real run →
| # | Model | Size | License | Speed | Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B | 35B | Apache 2.0 | estimated105 tok/s | 38/50 |
| 2 | KAT-Coder-V2.5 | 35B | Apache 2.0 | estimated96 tok/s | 39/50 |
| 3 | Qwen3.8-27B | 27.8B | Apache 2.0 | estimated19 tok/s | 46/50 |
| 4 | Qwen 3.6-27B | 27B | Apache 2.0 | estimated20 tok/s | 44/50 |
| 5 | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | 30B | OpenMDW | estimated82 tok/s | 36/50 |
| 6 | Gemma 4 26B-A4B | 26B | Apache 2.0 | estimated85 tok/s | 35/50 |
| 7 | Laguna XS 2.1 | 33B | OpenMDW | estimated96 tok/s | 33/50 |
| 8 | Muse Glimmer 30B | 30B | Apache 2.0 | estimated15 tok/s | 42/50 |
| 9 | Gemma 4 31B | 31B | Apache 2.0 | estimated17 tok/s | 40/50 |
| 10 | Nemotron-Cascade 2 | 30B | NVIDIA Open | estimated96 tok/s | 30/50 |
| 11 | Qwen 3.5 35B-A3B | 35B | Apache 2.0 | estimated96 tok/s | 27/50 |
| 12 | GLM-4.7-Flash | 31B | MIT | estimated17 tok/s | 35/50 |
Showing the top 12 of 45 models that fit in 32 GB. See the full leaderboard or all benchmarks.
The fastest way to get started is Ollama. Install it, then find the top pick for your Mac in its library and copy the exact tag it lists:
Find Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B in the Ollama library → · model card on Hugging Face →
Prefer a GUI? LM Studio gives you a one-click download and chat window. For step-by-step help see our Ollama install guide, or open the Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B on M2 Max benchmark page for exact settings.
The Mac Studio M2 Max (32 GB) tops out at Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B. Newer Apple Silicon with more unified memory runs larger, smarter models much faster:
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Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B (35B, Apache 2.0) is the best all-round pick at 105 tok/s (estimated) on the M2 Max. If you want maximum speed, Maple Preview 20B-A1B hits 326 tok/s (estimated); for maximum capability, Qwen3.8-27B still fits in 32 GB.
About 45 of the 91 models in the LLMCheck leaderboard fit in 32 GB of unified memory, from compact models up to Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B (35B).
Not comfortably. A 70B model in Q4 needs ~40–44 GB; with 32 GB you should stick to models up to ~26 GB, such as Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B. For 70B, look at a 48 GB+ Mac.
32 GB is great for small-to-mid models (up to ~14B comfortably); for 30B+ you'll want 32 GB or more. Because Apple Silicon uses unified memory, that figure is both your system RAM and your VRAM.