# M2 Mac with 8 GB vs M3 Mac with 8 GB

> The M2 Mac with 8 GB runs Qwen3.5 2B about 88% faster than the M3 Mac with 8 GB (44 vs 23 tokens per second) and starts answering 4.1 s sooner.

Canonical: https://askloci.ai/speed/compare/mac-m2-8gb-vs-mac-m3-8gb/
Last updated: 2026-10-26

## Every model both run

| Model | [M2 Mac with 8 GB](https://askloci.ai/speed/mac-m2-8gb/) | [M3 Mac with 8 GB](https://askloci.ai/speed/mac-m3-8gb/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Qwen3.5 2B](https://askloci.ai/speed/models/qwen3-5-2b/) | [44 tok/s](https://askloci.ai/speed/mac-m2-8gb/qwen3-5-2b/) · first word 9.6 s | [23 tok/s](https://askloci.ai/speed/mac-m3-8gb/qwen3-5-2b/) · first word 13.7 s |

- [Every model on the M2 Mac with 8 GB](https://askloci.ai/speed/mac-m2-8gb/)
- [Every model on the M3 Mac with 8 GB](https://askloci.ai/speed/mac-m3-8gb/)
- [Compare other devices](https://askloci.ai/speed/compare/?d=mac-m2-8gb,mac-m3-8gb)

## Questions

### Is the M2 Mac with 8 GB faster than the M3 Mac with 8 GB for AI?

The M2 Mac with 8 GB is faster on 1 of the the one model both run in Loci. The M2 Mac with 8 GB runs Qwen3.5 2B about 88% faster than the M3 Mac with 8 GB (44 vs 23 tokens per second) and starts answering 4.1 s sooner.

### Which runs Qwen3.5 2B faster, the M2 Mac with 8 GB or the M3 Mac with 8 GB?

The M2 Mac with 8 GB runs Qwen3.5 2B about 88% faster than the M3 Mac with 8 GB (44 vs 23 tokens per second) and starts answering 4.1 s sooner.

Last 30 days, through October 26, 2026 · updated daily

## How these speeds are measured

- Every number comes from real chats in Loci, timed on the device that wrote the answer, with Loci's default settings.
- **Tokens per second** is how fast an answer is written once it starts. On phones, four characters of text count as one token for every model; on a Mac, Loci counts the model's own tokens. Reading pace is about 5.
- **First word** is how long an answer takes to start after you send a message. Longer conversations take longer.
- Each device counts once. The large number is the median; the typical range covers the middle half of devices.
- Each phone speed comes from at least 10 phones. Fewer Macs run Loci, so each Mac speed says how many Macs it comes from.
- On phones, answers written in Low Power Mode or Battery Saver, in the background, or with web search or other tools are left out.