The best local LLM for a Mac mini M6 (24 GB) is Qwen3.8-27B at 8 tok/s (estimated). With 24 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, Qwen3.8-27B is the sweet spot. Full ranking below.
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Mac mini M6 (24GB) on Amazon → · not sure? the Mac Advisor picks a config →
Ranked by LLMCheck suitability (capability balanced against speed on the M6). 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 | estimated8 tok/s | 46/50 |
| 2 | KAT-Coder-V2.5 | 35B | Apache 2.0 | estimated56 tok/s | 39/50 |
| 3 | Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B | 35B | Apache 2.0 | community64 tok/s | 38/50 |
| 4 | Qwen 3.6-27B | 27B | Apache 2.0 | estimated9 tok/s | 44/50 |
| 5 | Muse Glimmer 30B | 30B | Apache 2.0 | community9 tok/s | 42/50 |
| 6 | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | 30B | OpenMDW | community45 tok/s | 36/50 |
| 7 | Gemma 4 31B | 31B | Apache 2.0 | community8 tok/s | 40/50 |
| 8 | Gemma 4 26B-A4B | 26B | Apache 2.0 | community48 tok/s | 35/50 |
| 9 | Laguna XS 2.1 | 33B | OpenMDW | estimated56 tok/s | 33/50 |
| 10 | Nemotron-Cascade 2 | 30B | NVIDIA Open | estimated56 tok/s | 30/50 |
| 11 | GLM-4.7-Flash | 31B | MIT | estimated8 tok/s | 35/50 |
| 12 | Maple Preview 20B-A1B | 20B | MIT | estimated253 tok/s | 20/50 |
Showing the top 12 of 45 models that fit in 24 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 M6 benchmark page for exact settings.
The Mac mini M6 (24 GB) comfortably runs 45 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 8 tok/s (estimated) on the M6. If you want maximum speed, Maple Preview 20B-A1B hits 253 tok/s (estimated); for maximum capability, Qwen 3.6-27B still fits in 24 GB.
About 45 of the 91 models in the LLMCheck leaderboard fit in 24 GB of unified memory, from compact models up to KAT-Coder-V2.5 (35B).
Not comfortably. A 70B model in Q4 needs ~40–44 GB; with 24 GB you should stick to models up to ~18 GB, such as Qwen3.8-27B. For 70B, look at a 48 GB+ Mac.
24 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.