Architect's technical teardown: VRAM capacity, memory bandwidth, TDP, and AI throughput — compared head-to-head for local LLM workloads.
The legendary used-market GOAT. 24GB VRAM at a fraction of the cost of 4090/5090. Still handles 70B models with ease.
Apple Silicon powerhouse. M4 Max unified memory architecture enables seamless CPU+GPU memory sharing — ideal for local LLM inference without discrete GPU complexity.
| Metric | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 | Apple Mac Studio (M4 Max) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 24GB | 36GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 936 GB/s | 410 GB/s |
| AI Throughput (TOPS) | 285 | 110 |
| TDP (Power Draw) | 350W | 140W |
| Est. Price | $749.99 | $1,999.99 |