Versus Engine
Mac Mini M4 Pro (64GB) vs Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Mac Mini M4 Pro (64GB) against Mac Studio (M3 Ultra), side by side.
Cheaper to start
Mac Mini M4 Pro (64GB)
Starts about $2,000 lower.
Rated higher
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)
9.8 vs 9.5 on our design scale.
Standout
Mac Mini M4 Pro (64GB)
64GB unified memory accessible by GPU
Mac Mini M4 Pro (64GB)
Compact unified-memory system built on the Apple M4 Pro with 64 GB shared between CPU and GPU. Runs Gemma 3 27B and Qwen3 30B-A3B at roughly 35-50 tokens/s while operating near-silently — the mid tier of this index for local AI work.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- 64GB unified memory accessible by GPU
- Near-silent operation at 100% load
- Class-leading performance-per-watt
Cons
- Zero post-purchase upgradeability
- Lacks native CUDA ecosystem support
Specifications
- Apple Order No.—
- Bluetooth—
- chipApple M4 Pro
- Color—
- Dimensions—
- Display Support—
- EMC—
- example_modelsGemma 3 27B, Qwen3 30B-A3B
- Graphics—
- HDMI—
- Headphone Jack—
- Maximum macOS—
- Maximum RAM—
- Memory—
- Memory Bandwidth—
- Model ID—
- Motherboard RAM—
- Processor—
- Processor Speed—
- Processor Type—
- Processor Upgrade—
- RAM Slots—
- Resolution Support—
- SDXC Card Slot—
- Standard Ethernet—
- Standard Storage—
- Storage Accessibility—
- Thunderbolt Ports—
- tiermid
- tokens_per_second35-50
- unified_memory_gb64
- USB-A Ports—
- Weight—
- Wi-Fi—
Mac Studio (M3 Ultra)
Apple's compact workstation, now with 819 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- 819 GB/s unified memory bandwidth
- Very large unified memory pool holds models that exceed consumer VRAM
- Near-silent and power-efficient for the capability
Cons
- Outside the CUDA ecosystem — training and custom kernels are awkward
- Memory is fixed at purchase and cannot be upgraded
- Raw compute per pound trails a discrete GPU build
Specifications
- Apple Order No.MU973LL/A
- Bluetooth5.3
- chip—
- ColorSilver
- Dimensions3.7 × 7.7 × 7.7 inches
- Display SupportUp to 8 Displays
- EMC8859
- example_models—
- Graphics60-Core GPU
- HDMIHDMI 2.1
- Headphone Jack3.5 mm
- Maximum macOSCurrent
- Maximum RAM256 GB*
- Memory96 GB Unified Memory
- Memory Bandwidth819 GB/s
- Model IDMac15,14
- Motherboard RAM96 GB standard; 256 GB configurable*
- ProcessorApple M3 Ultra
- Processor SpeedApprox. 4.0 GHz
- Processor TypeApple M3 Ultra
- Processor UpgradeSoldered
- RAM SlotsNone
- Resolution SupportUp to 7680 × 4320 (8K)
- SDXC Card SlotUHS-II
- Standard Ethernet10 Gigabit Ethernet
- Standard Storage1 TB SSD
- Storage AccessibilityNot User Accessible; Removable
- Thunderbolt Ports6 Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C)
- tier—
- tokens_per_second—
- unified_memory_gb—
- USB-A Ports2
- Weight8.0 lbs. (3.64 kg)
- Wi-Fi802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E