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
Buy by RAM, not just chip name. Most local LLM desks want 24–32GB unified memory (M4 Pro mini or used M2 Pro mini). For models that won’t fit a 24GB GPU, look at 64GB+ Studio. GPUs still win raw tokens/sec — see Mac vs GPU.
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.
80% over fair
Fair value
$950
eBay low BIN
$1,711
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.