> As far as I know, the most RAM you can get in a MacBook Pro (which is what you said you're shopping for) is 48G.
My Macbook Pro has 2.5x that (128GB), and I run models that use 2x that RAM (96GB) with no impact to my IDE, browser, or other apps running at the time, they act like they're on a 32GB machine.
LM Studio makes it easy for newcomers to on-device LLMs to dip your toe into this, both for turning on Metal and helping suggest which models will fit entirely in RAM.
You're right, you can get an M3 Max MBP with 128GB, starting at $4700.
My main point is that if your objective is dipping your toe into this, you can do it with smaller models for far less. That is a really sweet machine, but for the amount of money involved you should be clear about what your needs are.
My Macbook Pro has 2.5x that (128GB), and I run models that use 2x that RAM (96GB) with no impact to my IDE, browser, or other apps running at the time, they act like they're on a 32GB machine.
LM Studio makes it easy for newcomers to on-device LLMs to dip your toe into this, both for turning on Metal and helping suggest which models will fit entirely in RAM.