The best local LLM for a Mac mini M4 Pro (64 GB) is Qwen3.8-27B at 14 tok/s (estimated). With 64 GB of unified memory it runs 53 of the models in the LLMCheck index — from compact options up to 119B-class models. For everyday chat and coding, Qwen3.8-27B is the sweet spot. Full ranking below.
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Mac mini M4 Pro (64GB) on Amazon → · not sure? the Mac Advisor picks a config →
Ranked by LLMCheck suitability (capability balanced against speed on the M4 Pro). 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 | Qwen3.8-27B | 27.8B | Apache 2.0 | estimated14 tok/s | 46/50 |
| 2 | Qwen 3.6-27B | 27B | Apache 2.0 | estimated14 tok/s | 44/50 |
| 3 | Muse Glimmer 30B | 30B | Apache 2.0 | community10 tok/s | 42/50 |
| 4 | KAT-Coder-V2.5 | 35B | Apache 2.0 | estimated24 tok/s | 39/50 |
| 5 | Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B | 35B | Apache 2.0 | estimated32 tok/s | 38/50 |
| 6 | Gemma 4 31B | 31B | Apache 2.0 | estimated12 tok/s | 40/50 |
| 7 | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | 30B | OpenMDW | estimated28 tok/s | 36/50 |
| 8 | Gemma 4 26B-A4B | 26B | Apache 2.0 | estimated28 tok/s | 35/50 |
| 9 | Qwen3-Coder-Next | 80B | Apache 2.0 | estimated16 tok/s | 35/50 |
| 10 | GLM-4.7-Flash | 31B | MIT | estimated12 tok/s | 35/50 |
| 11 | Mistral Small 4 | 119B | Apache 2.0 | estimated18 tok/s | 34/50 |
| 12 | Laguna XS 2.1 | 33B | OpenMDW | estimated25 tok/s | 33/50 |
Showing the top 12 of 53 models that fit in 64 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 Qwen3.8-27B 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 Qwen3.8-27B on M4 Pro benchmark page for exact settings.
The Mac mini M4 Pro (64 GB) comfortably runs 53 of the models in the LLMCheck index, led by Qwen3.8-27B. Grab one and start running LLMs offline today:
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Qwen3.8-27B (27.8B, Apache 2.0) is the best all-round pick at 14 tok/s (estimated) on the M4 Pro. If you want maximum speed, Maple Preview 20B-A1B hits 281 tok/s (estimated); for maximum capability, Qwen 3.6-27B still fits in 64 GB.
About 53 of the 89 models in the LLMCheck leaderboard fit in 64 GB of unified memory, from compact models up to Mistral Small 4 (119B).
Yes. A 70B model in Q4 quantization needs roughly 40–44 GB of memory, which fits in 64 GB with headroom for context.
64 GB is plenty for local AI — you can run capable 30B–70B-class models. Because Apple Silicon uses unified memory, that figure is both your system RAM and your VRAM.