Overview
Apple silicon memory bandwidth, as Apple’s current spec pages list it, runs from 60GB/s on the A18 Pro in MacBook Neo, through 153GB/s on M5 and M6 and 307GB/s on M5 Pro, to 460GB/s or 614GB/s on M5 Max and 1.2TB/s on M5 Ultra. Every number below links the Apple page it came from, all read on 2026-10-13. Bandwidth is a spec, not a speed: this page does not convert it into tokens per second, because no primary source gives that conversion for a Mac and speed is unknown here. To measure your own, see measure-tokens-per-second-mac.
What is the memory bandwidth of each Apple silicon chip?
The table lists each chip on a current Apple spec page, plus the 2025 Mac Studio chips from Apple Support. Memory is the largest unified memory option the same page lists.
| Chip | Bandwidth as Apple writes it | Largest memory on that page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A18 Pro (MacBook Neo) | 60GB/s | 8GB | MacBook Neo specs |
| M5 (MacBook Air, 13 and 15 inch) | 153GB/s | 32GB | MacBook Air specs |
| M5 (MacBook Pro 14-inch) | 153GB/s | 32GB (16GB base, configurable to 24GB or 32GB) | MacBook Pro specs |
| M6 (Mac mini, base rows) | 153GB/s | 32GB | Mac mini specs |
| M6 (Mac mini, 170GB/s row and the 24GB or 32GB option) | 170GB/s | 32GB | Mac mini specs |
| M5 Pro | 307GB/s | 64GB | Mac mini specs, MacBook Pro specs |
| M5 Max (32-core GPU) | 460GB/s | 36GB base; the 48GB, 64GB and 128GB options are listed with the 40-core GPU | Mac Studio specs, MacBook Pro specs |
| M5 Max (40-core GPU) | 614GB/s | 128GB | Mac Studio specs, MacBook Pro specs |
| M5 Ultra | 1.2TB/s | 512GB (96GB base, 256GB or 512GB options; Apple says the 512GB configuration is coming in late October) | Mac Studio specs |
| M4 Max (2025 Mac Studio) | 410GB/s, or 546GB/s with the 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU | 128GB | Apple Support 122211 |
| M3 Ultra (2025 Mac Studio) | 819GB/s | 96GB base; 256GB (Apple Support) or 512GB (March 2025 newsroom), see the conflict below | Apple Support 122211 |
| M4 (Mac mini 2024) | 120GB/s | 32GB (16GB base, configurable to 24GB or 32GB) | Apple Support 121555 |
| M4 Pro (Mac mini 2024) | 273GB/s | 64GB (24GB base, configurable to 48GB or 64GB) | Apple Support 121555 |
| M3, M2, M1 | unknown | unknown | not read from a primary source on this page |
The M5 announcement says “M5 offers unified memory bandwidth of 153GB/s, providing a nearly 30 percent increase over M4 and more than 2x over M1” (Apple newsroom, October 2025). That is a vendor comparison and it gives no GB/s for M4 or M1; the M4 figure in the table is from Apple Support 121555, and the M1 cell stays unknown rather than being back-calculated.
The table covers chips and configurations the linked Apple pages list today. Older Macs and chips are not covered because their spec pages were not read for this page.
What is the M5 Ultra memory bandwidth?
Apple lists M5 Ultra at 1.2TB/s on the Mac Studio specs, on both the 30-core CPU and 64-core GPU configuration and the 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU configuration. That is the highest figure on any Apple page read for this page. Against the 819GB/s Apple Support lists for M3 Ultra, and taking 1.2TB/s as 1200GB/s, the ratio is 1200 / 819 = 1.47. Apple’s own comparison with M3 Ultra is covered on m5-ultra-llm.
What is the M5 Max memory bandwidth?
M5 Max is 460GB/s with the 32-core GPU and 614GB/s with the 40-core GPU, on both the Mac Studio and MacBook Pro spec pages. The GPU core count picks the bandwidth, so check which one a listing names. The ratio of the two is 614 / 460 = 1.33.
What is the M6 memory bandwidth, and why are there two numbers?
The Mac mini spec page lists M6 at 153GB/s on the first two configurations and 170GB/s on the third, and notes that the 24GB or 32GB options on the 16GB rows come with 170GB/s. The page does not say why the two differ, so the reason is unknown here. The chip-level details are on mac-mini-m6-llm.
Do Apple’s pages conflict anywhere?
Yes, on M3 Ultra memory. Apple Support 122211 lists 96GB base, configurable to 256GB, for the 2025 Mac Studio with M3 Ultra, while the March 2025 Apple newsroom release says it “starts with 96GB of unified memory, which can be configured up to 512GB”. This page does not decide which is right. Check Apple’s configurator before buying a used or discounted M3 Ultra.
Which Mac has the most memory bandwidth?
Of the Macs on the pages above, the Mac Studio with M5 Ultra, at 1.2TB/s. Next is the M5 Max at 614GB/s with the 40-core GPU (Mac Studio and MacBook Pro), then 460GB/s, then M5 Pro at 307GB/s (Mac mini and MacBook Pro), then M6 at 170GB/s and 153GB/s (Mac mini), M5 at 153GB/s (MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 14-inch) and A18 Pro at 60GB/s (MacBook Neo). Unlisted chips are not ranked.
Does memory bandwidth matter for a local LLM?
Memory size decides whether a model loads; what bandwidth does to speed is unknown here. The fit test is total_GB = weights_GB + kv_GB + overhead_GB against installed unified memory, with weights_GB = params x bits / 8 / 1e9, as defined on methodology. Bandwidth does not appear in that test. For example, Qwen2.5-72B-Instruct (72.7B parameters, worked on methodology) at 4.0 bits is 72.7e9 x 4 / 8 / 1e9 = 36.35 GB of weights, 39.692 GB with KV cache and the 2 GB overhead assumption at context 4096 (how-much-ram-for-local-llm), and a 64GB Mac with M5 Pro (307GB/s) and one with M5 Max (614GB/s) share the same fit result; how their speeds differ on that model is unknown. This site publishes no tokens-per-second figures. The comparison with a discrete GPU is in mac-vs-nvidia-for-local-llm.
Is unified memory bandwidth the same as VRAM bandwidth?
Both are bandwidth to the memory the GPU reads, but a Mac has one shared pool and a discrete GPU has its own VRAM, so the capacity you compare against differs. The explanation is on unified-memory-vs-vram, and the VRAM side is LLM VRAM requirements. No NVIDIA bandwidth figure is quoted here.
Questions
What is Apple silicon memory bandwidth?
It is the rate at which a chip can read its unified memory, which Apple lists in GB/s per chip on its spec pages. The current pages range from 60GB/s (A18 Pro) to 1.2TB/s (M5 Ultra).
What is the M5 Ultra memory bandwidth?
1.2TB/s, per Apple’s Mac Studio specs. Its predecessor M3 Ultra is listed at 819GB/s by Apple Support.
What is the memory bandwidth of the M5 Max?
460GB/s with the 32-core GPU and 614GB/s with the 40-core GPU, per the Mac Studio and MacBook Pro spec pages.
What is the M6 memory bandwidth?
153GB/s on the base Mac mini rows and 170GB/s on the third row and the 24GB or 32GB options, per Apple’s Mac mini specs. Why the two differ is unknown.
Does memory bandwidth matter for a local LLM?
Installed memory decides whether a model fits. Bandwidth’s effect on speed is unknown on this page, and no tokens-per-second figure is given; measure your Mac with measure-tokens-per-second-mac.
Which Mac has the most memory bandwidth?
The Mac Studio with M5 Ultra at 1.2TB/s, among the Apple pages read on 2026-10-13.
What is the M1 memory bandwidth?
Unknown here. Apple’s M5 release says M5 has “more than 2x” the bandwidth of M1 but gives no GB/s figure for M1, and no M1 spec page was read.
How do I compare chips on a Mac I might buy?
Start with which-mac-for-local-llm, then confirm the chip and GPU core count on Apple’s spec page, since M5 Max and M6 each list two bandwidth values.
Sources read on 2026-10-13
- Mac Studio specs: M5 Max 460GB/s and 614GB/s, M5 Ultra 1.2TB/s, memory options up to 512GB.
- Mac mini specs: M6 153GB/s and 170GB/s, M5 Pro 307GB/s, memory options.
- MacBook Pro specs: M5 153GB/s (no memory options read), M5 Pro 307GB/s, M5 Max 460GB/s and 614GB/s.
- MacBook Air specs: M5 153GB/s, memory up to 32GB.
- MacBook Neo specs: A18 Pro, 8GB, 60GB/s.
- Apple Support 122211: 2025 Mac Studio, M4 Max 410GB/s and 546GB/s (128GB), M3 Ultra 819GB/s (96GB base, 256GB option).
- Apple Support 121555: Mac mini (2024), M4 120GB/s (16GB, 24GB or 32GB) and M4 Pro 273GB/s (24GB, 48GB or 64GB).
- Apple newsroom, March 2025 Mac Studio: M3 Ultra “configured up to 512GB”.
- Apple newsroom, October 2025 M5: M5 153GB/s, vendor comparison with M4 and M1.
- Qwen2.5-72B-Instruct model card: 72.7B parameters, as recorded on methodology.
- LLM VRAM requirements: sister site, linked only.
- methodology: fit formulas.