Apple Silicon
Also: M-series, M5, M6
Apple's M-series chips, which put the processor, graphics, and memory together. Good at running local AI.
The fuller definition
Apple Silicon is Apple's family of M-series chips, which combine processor, graphics, and unified memory on one package. They run local models well because most of the memory can hold the model.
- Chip
CPU and GPU together
- Memory
Unified pool
- Engines
Metal or MLX
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
A Mac mini with the M5 Pro chip offers up to 64 GB of unified memory at 307 GB/s.
The distinction that matters
Memory on Apple Silicon cannot be upgraded after purchase; buy for the largest model you expect to need.
Related terms
Unified memory
One big pool of memory shared by a computer's processor and graphics, as on Apple Silicon Macs. Big models fit; they just run a bit slower than on a fast graphics card.
APIs & softwareMetal
Apple's system that lets software use the graphics part of a Mac's chip. Local AI apps use it automatically.
APIs & softwareMLX
Apple's own software for running AI models on Macs with Apple chips. Often the fastest choice on a Mac.
Where it is taught
Understand the hardware a local model needsSource and further reading
Hugging Face · Model inference and quantizationThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.