Hardware ·Published 2026-04-15 · Updated 2026-06-04

M4 vs M3 for Local AI: Is the Upgrade Worth It?

Apple M4 brought a faster Neural Engine and improved memory bandwidth to the Mac lineup (the M5 generation has since followed). But is M4 a meaningful upgrade over M3 for running local AI models? This comparison helps you decide whether upgrading makes sense.

Apple M4
4wins
Ties
1draws
Apple M3
0wins
Categories compared
5

Verdict

Apple M4

The M4 delivers about 13% faster inference than M3 on an 8B Q4 model and supports up to 32 GB on MacBook Air. For most local AI tasks, M3 is still excellent and the upgrade is not essential. If you are buying new, M4 is the clear pick. If you already have M3, the jump is incremental.

Table 1

Category-by-category breakdown

CategoryApple M4Apple M3Winner
Inference SpeedAbout 13% faster token generationAlready fast, but slower than M4Apple M4
Max RAM (MacBook Air)Up to 32 GBUp to 24 GBApple M4
Neural Engine38 TOPS, most powerful yet18 TOPSApple M4
Power EfficiencyExcellent, TSMC 3nm second genVery good, TSMC 3nm first genApple M4
Price/PerformanceSame price tier, better performanceAvailable used/refurbished at lower pricesTie

Detailed analysis

Inference Speed

Apple M4

M4 improved memory bandwidth delivers about 13% faster tokens per second. On an 8B Q4 model, ModelFit estimates roughly 18 tok/s on M4 vs 16 tok/s on M3.

Apple M4
About 13% faster token generation
Apple M3
Already fast, but slower than M4

Max RAM (MacBook Air)

Apple M4

M4 MacBook Air supports 32 GB, enabling 14B models that do not fit on the 24 GB M3 Air.

Apple M4
Up to 32 GB
Apple M3
Up to 24 GB

Neural Engine

Apple M4

M4 Neural Engine is more than twice as powerful as M3, though most LLM inference in Ollama uses GPU cores rather than the Neural Engine.

Apple M4
38 TOPS, most powerful yet
Apple M3
18 TOPS

Power Efficiency

Apple M4

M4 is slightly more power efficient, meaning longer battery life during sustained inference workloads.

Apple M4
Excellent, TSMC 3nm second gen
Apple M3
Very good, TSMC 3nm first gen

Price/Performance

Tie

New M4 Macs cost the same as M3 did at launch. But used M3 Macs offer excellent value if budget is a concern.

Apple M4
Same price tier, better performance
Apple M3
Available used/refurbished at lower prices

Frequently asked questions

How much faster is M4 than M3 for LLMs?
Roughly 13% faster token generation on equivalent models. An 8B Q4 model that runs at an estimated 16 tok/s on M3 runs at about 18 tok/s on M4.
Should I upgrade from M3 to M4 for local AI?
Only if you also need more RAM. The performance gain alone (about 13%) is not worth the cost of a new Mac. If your M3 has 24 GB and you want 32 GB, the M4 upgrade makes more sense.
Does M4 support larger models than M3?
On MacBook Air, yes. M4 Air goes up to 32 GB vs 24 GB for M3 Air. This means 14B models fit comfortably on M4 Air but are tight on M3 Air. On MacBook Pro, both support up to 128 GB.
Is M4 better for Ollama specifically?
Yes. Ollama runs inference on the GPU cores, and M4 has faster GPU performance. Combined with higher memory bandwidth, every model runs faster on M4, though the difference is evolutionary, not revolutionary.

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