27% over fair
Fair value
$550
eBay low BIN
$700
Range
$480 – $650
Entry local AI Mac. Fine for 7B–8B class models via Ollama/MLX. Not ideal if you want 30B+ resident — step up RAM.
Macs for local AI
Answer: Buy by unified memory, not just chip name. Most local LLM desks want 24–32GB (M4 Pro mini or used M2 Pro mini). For models that will not fit a 24GB GPU, look at 64GB+ Studio. GPUs still win raw tokens/sec — see Mac vs GPU.
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45% over fair
Fair value
$1,200
eBay low BIN
$1,740
Range
$1,050 – $1,400
Sweet spot for many local LLM users: 24GB unified memory, quiet, low wattage. Strong MLX/Ollama inference for mid-size models. X community default for 'private AI on a desk'.
62% over fair
Fair value
$1,700
eBay low BIN
$2,747
Range
$1,500 – $2,000
48GB unified memory rivals workstation VRAM for model size without a discrete GPU. Best mini config for larger local models if budget allows.
53% over fair
Fair value
$950
eBay low BIN
$1,450
Range
$800 – $1,150
Used-market favorite: 32GB unified memory often cheaper than new high-RAM M4 configs. Excellent value for local LLMs if you find a clean unit.
104% over fair
Fair value
$1,800
eBay low BIN
$3,675
Range
$1,500 – $2,200
64GB opens larger models and longer context than any 24GB GPU. Used Studios with high RAM are the secondary-market play for serious local AI without NVIDIA.
63% over fair
Fair value
$2,400
eBay low BIN
$3,900
Range
$2,000 – $2,900
Ultra bandwidth + 64GB for heavy local inference. Check eBay carefully for config (base Ultra often ships with less RAM — buy the listed memory tier).
111% over fair
Fair value
$3,800
eBay low BIN
$8,000
Range
$3,200 – $4,500
Whale config: 128GB unified memory for large models that will not fit on consumer GPUs. Low volume, high AOV, pure secondary market.
19% under fair
Fair value
$4,200
eBay low BIN
$3,388
Range
$3,500 – $5,500
Current-gen Studio Ultra. Buy by RAM tier first (96GB+), not just chip name. New/refurb Amazon + used eBay both apply.