I have an M5 MacBook Pro and I also have a separate GPU setup for running models. The difference in speed is significant. It's not just token generation speed, but time to first token (prompt processing).

The M5 hardware is amazing for what it is, but GPUs are still so much faster.

Running the models on the GPU box also means I can use the laptop on my lap instead of turning it into a hot plate.

What is your GPU setup?