The best local LLM for a Mac Studio M1 Ultra (128 GB) is Qwen3.8-Flash-Next at 65 tok/s. With 128 GB of unified memory it runs 62 of the models we benchmark — from compact options up to 320B-class models. For everyday chat and coding, Qwen3.8-Flash-Next is the sweet spot. Full ranking below.
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Ranked by LLMCheck suitability (capability balanced against speed on the M1 Ultra). Click a model for its full benchmark and setup. All speeds are index estimates (memory-bandwidth model, cross-referenced with sourced benchmarks where available) — submit a real run →
| # | Model | Size | License | Speed | Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qwen3.8-Flash-Next | 125B | Qwen Custom | 65 tok/s est. | 47/50 |
| 2 | DeepSeek V4 Flash | 284B | MIT | 52 tok/s est. | 47/50 |
| 3 | DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision-Exp | 305B | MIT | 52 tok/s est. | 47/50 |
| 4 | GLM-5.3-Flash | 320B | MIT | 36 tok/s est. | 48/50 |
| 5 | Qwen3.8-27B | 27.8B | Apache 2.0 | 39 tok/s est. | 46/50 |
| 6 | Inkling-Small | 276B | Apache 2.0 | 29 tok/s est. | 46/50 |
| 7 | Qwen 3.6-27B | 27B | Apache 2.0 | 39 tok/s | 44/50 |
| 8 | Qwen3-235B-A22B | 235B | Apache 2.0 | 20 tok/s est. | 46/50 |
| 9 | KAT-Coder-V2.5 | 35B | Apache 2.0 | 69 tok/s est. | 39/50 |
| 10 | Laguna S 2.1 | 118B | OpenMDW | 35 tok/s est. | 43/50 |
| 11 | Muse Glimmer 30B | 30B | Apache 2.0 | 36 tok/s est. | 42/50 |
| 12 | Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B | 35B | Apache 2.0 | 64 tok/s | 38/50 |
Showing the top 12 of 62 models that fit in 128 GB. See the full leaderboard or all benchmarks.
The fastest way to get started is Ollama. Install it, then pull the top pick for your Mac:
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-Flash-Next on M1 Ultra benchmark page for exact settings.
The Mac Studio M1 Ultra (128 GB) tops out at GLM-5.3-Flash. Newer Apple Silicon with more unified memory runs larger, smarter models much faster:
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Qwen3.8-Flash-Next (125B, Qwen Custom) is the best all-round pick at 65 tok/s on the M1 Ultra. If you want maximum speed, Maple Preview 20B-A1B hits 375 tok/s; for maximum capability, GLM-5.3-Flash still fits in 128 GB.
About 62 of the 85 models in the LLMCheck leaderboard fit in 128 GB of unified memory, from compact models up to GLM-5.3-Flash (320B).
Yes. A 70B model in Q4 quantization needs roughly 40–44 GB of memory, which fits in 128 GB with headroom for context.
128 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.