The best local LLM for a Mac Studio M5 Max (128 GB) is KAT-Coder-V2.5 at 117 tok/s (estimated). With 128 GB of unified memory it runs 65 of the models in the LLMCheck index — from compact options up to 320B-class models. For everyday chat and coding, KAT-Coder-V2.5 is the sweet spot. Full ranking below.
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Mac Studio M5 Max (128GB) on Amazon → · not sure? the Mac Advisor picks a config →
Ranked by LLMCheck suitability (capability balanced against speed on the M5 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 | KAT-Coder-V2.5 | 35B | Apache 2.0 | estimated117 tok/s | 39/50 |
| 2 | Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B | 35B | Apache 2.0 | community126 tok/s | 38/50 |
| 3 | Qwen3.8-Flash-Next | 125B | Qwen Custom | estimated49 tok/s | 47/50 |
| 4 | DeepSeek V4 Flash | 284B | MIT | community39 tok/s | 47/50 |
| 5 | DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision-Exp | 305B | MIT | estimated39 tok/s | 47/50 |
| 6 | GLM-5.3-Flash | 320B | MIT | estimated27 tok/s | 48/50 |
| 7 | Inkling-Small | 276B | Apache 2.0 | estimated42 tok/s | 46/50 |
| 8 | Qwen3.8-27B | 27.8B | Apache 2.0 | estimated29 tok/s | 46/50 |
| 9 | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | 30B | OpenMDW | estimated103 tok/s | 36/50 |
| 10 | Qwen3-235B-A22B | 235B | Apache 2.0 | estimated15 tok/s | 46/50 |
| 11 | Gemma 4 26B-A4B | 26B | Apache 2.0 | estimated106 tok/s | 35/50 |
| 12 | Qwen 3.6-27B | 27B | Apache 2.0 | estimated30 tok/s | 44/50 |
Showing the top 12 of 65 models that fit in 128 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 KAT-Coder-V2.5 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 KAT-Coder-V2.5 on M5 Max benchmark page for exact settings.
The Mac Studio M5 Max (128 GB) comfortably runs 65 of the models in the LLMCheck index, led by KAT-Coder-V2.5. Grab one and start running LLMs offline today:
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KAT-Coder-V2.5 (35B, Apache 2.0) is the best all-round pick at 117 tok/s (estimated) on the M5 Max. If you want maximum speed, Maple Preview 20B-A1B hits 398 tok/s (estimated); for maximum capability, GLM-5.3-Flash still fits in 128 GB.
About 65 of the 91 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.