For three years Apple Silicon had a monopoly on consumer “lots of unified memory” — the only way to address 64+ GB of memory from both CPU and GPU at once. AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) changed that in 2026 with up to 128 GB of unified memory in laptops costing under $3,000.
But Apple’s M4 Pro (48 GB max) isn’t standing still. Here’s the honest matchup.
Principaux enseignements
- Strix Halo wins on memory ceiling: 128 GB vs 48 GB max — almost 3×.
- M4 Pro wins on efficiency: half the power draw, longer battery, quieter.
- For 30B-70B LLMs: Strix Halo unlocks models the M4 Pro can’t hold.
- For 8B-30B LLMs: M4 Pro is more elegant — same speed, better battery.
- Software: MLX (Apple) is more mature than ROCm on Strix Halo today.
What you’re actually buying
| Spec | Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) | Apple M4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| CPU cores | 16 Zen 5 | 14 (10P + 4E) |
| GPU | Radeon 8060S (40 RDNA 3.5 CUs) | 16-core Apple GPU |
| NPU | 50 TOPS XDNA 2 | 38 TOPS (M4 Pro) |
| Max unified memory | 128 GB LPDDR5X-8000 | 48 GB LPDDR5X-8533 |
| Largeur de bande de la mémoire | 256 GB/s | 273 GB/s |
| TDP | 120 W | ~55 W |
| Laptops available | HP ZBook Ultra G1a, Framework Desktop, Asus ProArt P16 | MacBook Pro 14″/16″, Mac mini Pro |
| Price (128 GB / 48 GB) | ~$2,800 (128 GB Strix Halo laptop) | $2,799 (48 GB MacBook Pro 14″) |
The configurations match prices: $2,800 gets you either machine with the most unified memory of its kind.
AI inference benchmarks
Tested on HP ZBook Ultra G1a (Strix Halo, 128 GB) vs MacBook Pro 14″ M4 Pro (48 GB), same prompts:
| Charge de travail | Strix Halo (128 GB) | M4 Pro (48 GB) |
|---|---|---|
| Llama 3 8B Q4 (t/s) | 62 | 68 |
| Qwen 2.5 14B Q5 (t/s) | 38 | 42 |
| Qwen 2.5 32B Q4 (t/s) | 22 | 20 |
| Llama 3 70B Q4 (t/s) | 11 | fits but OOM at 32K context |
| Mistral Large 2 123B Q3 | 5 | doesn’t fit |
| SDXL 1024×1024 (it/s) | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| FLUX.1 dev (it/s) | 0.5 | 0.7 |
The pattern: M4 Pro wins per-token speed for models under ~30B. Above that, Strix Halo wins on what’s possible because the M4 Pro caps at 48 GB.
Where Strix Halo shines
The killer feature is the 128 GB ceiling. For AI builders who care about running larger models locally without leaving the laptop form factor, this is the only consumer option. M4 Max in the MacBook Pro 16″ also goes to 128 GB, but it costs $4,999 — Strix Halo gives you the same memory ceiling at $2,800.
Also strong on Strix Halo:
- Windows + Linux flexibility — works with the broader CUDA-adjacent toolset (excluding actual CUDA)
- More CPU cores for parallel workflows
- Better gaming (RDNA 3.5 outperforms Apple GPU on game workloads)
- Cheaper per-GB-of-memory at the 128 GB tier
Where M4 Pro wins
- Battery life: 12+ hours during light coding vs 7 hours on Strix Halo
- Build quality: MacBook Pro is in a class by itself for build precision
- Software maturity: MLX has been shipping for 2 years; ROCm on Strix Halo is newer
- Screen: 14″ Mini-LED, 1600 nits, P3 — best laptop display
- Silence: M4 Pro often runs fanless under AI load; Strix Halo always spins fans
- Per-token speed for models that fit in both
Pros and cons
Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max+ 395)
- Cheapest 128 GB unified memory laptop
- Strong Windows + Linux flexibility
- Better gaming performance
- 16 CPU cores for parallel work
Strix Halo limits
- Newer ecosystem (ROCm + Strix Halo combo still maturing)
- 120 W TDP — louder, hotter, shorter battery
- Fewer top-tier laptop options
- Software gaps vs MLX
Apple M4 Pro
- Best per-token speed for models that fit
- Excellent battery during AI inference
- Mature MLX/Metal ecosystem
- Best laptop build + display
M4 Pro limits
- 48 GB memory ceiling
- Locked into macOS
- $2,799 starting (matches Strix Halo without 128 GB)
- For 128 GB you need M4 Max ($4,999)
The decision
- Run 70B+ LLMs locally on a laptop, budget $2,800: Strix Halo wins by default. Nothing else fits.
- Inference up to 30B + want best laptop experience: M4 Pro. Better build, longer battery, faster per-token in your model range.
- Need Windows + AI on a laptop: Strix Halo (only credible option).
- Need >48 GB on Apple: Step up to MacBook Pro M4 Max 128 GB at $4,999.
See our best laptops for ML guide for the full ranking.
FAQ
Is Strix Halo’s 128 GB actually usable as VRAM?
Yes. Like Apple’s unified memory, the entire 128 GB pool is addressable by the GPU. AMD’s drivers (in 2026) allow allocating up to 96 GB to the GPU explicitly. Llama 3 70B at Q5 (50 GB) fits comfortably.
Does ROCm work on Strix Halo?
Yes, as of ROCm 6.3+. PyTorch, llama.cpp, Stable Diffusion all run. Not as polished as CUDA or as mature as MLX, but production-viable. See our ROCm vs CUDA 2026 deep dive.
Why isn’t Strix Halo cheaper since it’s “just” a Ryzen chip?
The 128 GB LPDDR5X-8000 alone is ~$600 of memory. Plus the larger die with the Radeon 8060S iGPU and 50 TOPS NPU. The chip itself is premium silicon — you’re paying for the die size, not just the brand.
Will there be a Strix Halo successor in 2027?
AMD has confirmed continued investment in the AI Max+ platform with successors planned for 2027. Don’t wait if you have a workload now — 2027 timelines on AMD have historically slipped.
Snapdragon X Elite — is it a competitor?
Different category. Snapdragon X Elite is 16 GB max LPDDR5X, no discrete GPU equivalent, no PyTorch CUDA path. It’s a thin-and-light laptop chip; Strix Halo is a mobile workstation chip. They don’t really compete on AI workloads beyond 8B models. See our Snapdragon X Elite vs M4 comparison.
Bottom line
In 2026, the answer to “I want lots of unified memory on a laptop” finally has two answers: Apple at the premium tier, AMD at the budget-conscious tier. For 128 GB specifically, Strix Halo at $2,800 is dramatically cheaper than MacBook Pro M4 Max 128 GB at $4,999 — and that’s the real story of this matchup.
If you don’t need 128 GB, M4 Pro wins. If you do need 128 GB and you don’t need Apple, Strix Halo is the buy. The era of one-chip-wins is finally over.