Run Llama 5 405B on M5 Max

Yes — Llama 5 405B (405B) runs at 4 tok/s on M5 Max with 128 GB RAM using Q2_K quantization via MLX. First token latency is 3.5s. A capable open-source LLM with 405B parameters.

Speed
4
tok/s
First Token
3.5
seconds
RAM Needed
128
GB minimum
Engine
MLX
recommended

Benchmark Details

LLMCheck measured Llama 5 405B on M5 Max using the standard methodology: Q4_K_M quantization, 256-token input, 512-token output, 3 runs averaged on a freshly-booted system.

MetricValue
Tokens per second4 tok/s
Time to first token3.5s
QuantizationQ2_K
Minimum RAM128 GB
Recommended engineMLX
Parameters405B
Benchmark date2026-07

Q2_K 405B MLX M5 Max

Setup Guide: Run Llama 5 405B on M5 Max

The recommended engine for Llama 5 405B on M5 Max is MLX. Install with pip and pull the model:

pip install mlx-lm
mlx_lm.generate --model mlx-community/llama-5-405b-q2_k --prompt "Hello!"

Alternatively, you can use Ollama for a simpler setup:

ollama run llama-5-405b

System Requirements

To run Llama 5 405B on M5 Max you need:

🛒 Get a Mac that runs Llama 5 405B

Llama 5 405B needs about 128 GB of unified memory. These current Apple Silicon Macs have the headroom to run it comfortably:

Not sure which Mac fits your budget? See the best Mac for running this →

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