Apple's most powerful Mac Mini for local AI. Up to 64GB unified memory, 16-core GPU, and whisper-quiet operation. Run Llama 3.1 70B quantized locally.
Price
From $1,399
CPU
Apple M4 Pro (10-core CPU)
GPU
Apple M4 Pro (16-core GPU)
Neural Engine
16-core Neural Engine
Unified Memory
16GB / 32GB / 64GB
Storage
512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB SSD
TDP
~50W (very efficient)
Noise Level
Silent (fanless design)
Token generation speed (tok/s) at batch size 1. Lower quantization = faster but less accurate. Results may vary based on model version and system conditions.
| System | Llama 3.1 70B | Llama 3.1 8B | Mistral 7B | Codestral 22B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Mini M4 Pro (64GB) | ~8 tok/s | ~120 tok/s | ~150 tok/s | ~25 tok/s |
| RTX 4070 Super (12GB) | ~12 tok/s | ~180 tok/s | ~220 tok/s | ~35 tok/s |
| RTX 4070 Ti (16GB) | ~18 tok/s | ~250 tok/s | ~300 tok/s | ~50 tok/s |
| Mac Mini M4 (24GB) | Not supported | ~60 tok/s | ~80 tok/s | Not supported |
Note: 70B models require 48GB+ unified memory for Q4 quantization. 16-32GB systems should use 7B-13B models for optimal performance.
| Model | Recommended Quantization | Memory Required | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.1 70B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 48GB+ recommended | Works great |
| Llama 3.1 8B | Q4_0 - Q8_0 | 16GB minimum | Excellent |
| Llama 3.2 1B/3B | Q4_0 | 16GB minimum | Excellent |
| Mistral 7B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 16GB minimum | Excellent |
| Mixtral 8x7B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 32GB+ recommended | Works well |
| Codestral 22B | Q4_0, Q5_1 | 48GB+ recommended | Works well |
| Gemma 2 27B | Q4_0 | 48GB+ recommended | Works well |
| Qwen 2.5 72B | Q4_0 | 64GB recommended | Needs 64GB |
| Category | Mac Mini M4 Pro | NVIDIA RTX 4070 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (complete system) | $1,399+ (all-in-one) | $1,500-2,000 (GPU + PC build) | Mac Mini |
| VRAM | Unified (16-64GB) | 12-24GB discrete | Depends on config |
| Noise | Silent (passive cooling) | 30-45dB (fans) | Mac Mini |
| 70B model support | With 48-64GB RAM | Requires 24GB VRAM cards | RTX 4090 |
| Power consumption | ~50W max | 300-450W | Mac Mini |
| Portability | Compact desktop | Full tower/SFF build | Mac Mini |
Choose Mac Mini M4 Pro if: You want a silent, compact, all-in-one system for 7B-34B models. Perfect for developers and productivity-focused AI use.
Choose RTX 4070/4090 if: You need to run 70B+ models at full precision or want maximum throughput. Better for dedicated AI workstations.
Setup time: ~5 minutes
Learn MoreSetup time: ~5 minutes
Learn MoreSetup time: ~15 minutes
Learn MoreSetup time: ~10 minutes
Learn MoreThe Mac Mini M4 Pro (24GB) is our recommended starting point for most users. It handles 7B-13B models excellently and can run 34B models with quantization.