Will 48 vs 64 GB of ram in a new mbp make a big difference?

Reddit r/LocalLLaMA / 4/1/2026

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Key Points

The post asks whether upgrading a new 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 from 48GB to 64GB RAM meaningfully improves performance for running local AI models, since the user is new to the area.
It frames the decision as whether extra RAM is worth the cost for practical local-model experimentation, not general computing needs.
The discussion is aimed at gathering real-world experiences comparing the two memory configurations under local LLM workloads.
The user’s primary goal is to understand how RAM affects local model execution capacity and usability for experimentation.

Apologies if this isn't the correct sub.

I'm getting a new laptop and want to experiment running local models (I'm completely new to local models). The new M5 16" mbp is what I'm leaning towards and wanted to ask if anyone has experience using either these configs? 64 obviously is more but didn't know if I'm "wasting" money for it.

submitted by /u/easylifeforme
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