128GB MacBook Pro M5 Max tempts tinkerer

Not stupid if local models are the hobby and MacOS is non-negotiable, but reckless if this is still a maybe.

• –Apple frames M5 Pro for coders and M5 Max for people pushing absolute limits, so the Max is a workstation ceiling, not a starter config.
• –Apple is explicitly selling the M5 Max on local AI, claiming up to 4x faster LLM prompt processing than M4 Max; that makes the use case real, but only if local models are already the point of the machine.
• –The price gap is steep enough to matter, and the Max starts at 2TB storage, so you are buying a bundled pro tier, not just 128GB of RAM.
• –Unified memory is the real draw: 128GB and 614GB/s help keep larger models resident, but they do not turn the Mac into a raw-speed monster.
• –The thread's practical advice is the best sanity check: 64GB already covers a lot of local tinkering, and 128GB mostly buys extra headroom for larger or multiple models.