Mac 64 GB vs RTX 4090 24 GB for local AI
The Mac 64 GB has 31.7 GB more memory, and that decides it for local AI: it runs a better file (or runs at all) for 29 of 49 models, and 49 run at 8-bit or better against 43. The RTX 4090 24 GB does have hardware FP8, so for models that fit on both it can be faster per step. Memory is only half the story here: the Mac holds more, but it is several times slower per image than a desktop RTX card, and FP8 files do not work on it.
Mac 64 GB
- VRAM
- 55.7 GB
- Memory
- Unified
- Bandwidth
- —
- Architecture
- Apple Silicon
- FP8 compute
- No
- Power
- —
VS
RTX 4090 24 GB
- VRAM
- 24 GB
- Memory
- GDDR6X
- Bandwidth
- 1008 GB/s
- Architecture
- Ada Lovelace
- FP8 compute
- Yes
- Launch price
- $1,599
01Model by model
| Model | Mac 64 GB | RTX 4090 24 GB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| image models | ||||
| FLUX.1 dev | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| FLUX.1 schnell | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| FLUX.1 Kontext | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| FLUX.1 Krea | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| FLUX.1 Fill | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well Q8_0 | ||
| FLUX.2 dev | Runs well Q8_0 | Runs Q4_K_M | ||
| FLUX.2 klein 9B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| FLUX.2 klein 4B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Krea 2 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Qwen-Image | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Qwen-Image-Edit | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Qwen-Image 2.1 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Z-Image Turbo | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Z-Image | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Ideogram 4 | Runs well Q8_0 | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Boogu-Image | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| ERNIE-Image | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| HiDream-O1 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Mage-Flow | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Lumina 2.0 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| HiDream-I1 Full | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| HiDream-I1 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| SD 3.5 Large | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| SD 3.5 Medium | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Chroma1-HD | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| SDXL | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Illustrious / Pony | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| SD 1.5 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| HunyuanImage 2.1 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| video models | ||||
| Wan 2.1 14B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Wan 2.1 1.3B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Wan 2.1 I2V 480P | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Wan 2.1 I2V 720P | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Wan VACE 14B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well Q8_0 | ||
| Wan 2.2 T2V | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Wan 2.2 I2V | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Wan 2.2 5B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| Wan 2.2 Animate | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| Wan Animate 2 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well Q8_0 | ||
| Wan 2.2 S2V | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| SCAIL-2 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| HunyuanVideo 13B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| LTX-Video 13B | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well FP8 | ||
| HunyuanVideo 1.5 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs well 16-bit | ||
| LTX-2 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs Q6_K | ||
| LTX-2.3 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs Q6_K | ||
| LTX-2.5 | Runs well 16-bit | Runs Q6_K | ||
| MiniMax H3 | Runs well Q8_0 | Tight Q3_K_M | ||
| MiniMax H3 Pruned | Runs well 16-bit | Runs Q6_K | ||
Highlighted: the GPU that runs a better file for that model. Launch prices are the maker’s original list prices, not today’s street prices. Calculated from real file sizes; how the numbers work.
02Score
49run well on Mac 64 GB
43run well on RTX 4090 24 GB
29better on Mac 64 GB
0better on RTX 4090 24 GB