Mac Studio vs. DGX Spark: which local AI hardware should you buy?
The Mac Studio was the go-to recommendation for local model inference because its large unified memory lets you run bigger, better models — just a bit slower than Nvidia hardware. The problem is that Mac Studios with meaningful memory are essentially sold out everywhere right now. For most people who can't find one secondhand, the Nvidia DGX Spark is the best plug-and-play alternative. It has 128 GB of unified memory, meaning you can run any model up to that size — Qwen 27B works great on it, and Nvidia's own new open-source Nemotron models are being built with the Spark in mind. Setup is dead simple: you plug it into the wall and it works, no monitor required. The Mac Studio is still preferable if you can get one because of the polished macOS interface, but the Spark is a strong option for anyone who can't.
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