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text model · LFM · macOS

Can I run LFM2.5 8B-A1B on Apple M4 (24GB)?

Compatibility verdict VRAM threshold engine
Yes, it runs GPU accelerated

Yes. LFM2.5 8B-A1B runs on Apple M4 (24GB) at Q4_K_M (~6.7 GB of ~16 GB usable).

Needs ~6.7 GB Device usable ~16 GB

Runs at Q4_K_M using ~6.7 GB of ~16 GB usable. You have room for Q8_0 for higher quality.

That figure is at a 4k context and moves about ±15% as context length changes. Apple M4 (24GB) leaves ~9.3 GB of headroom, room to step up to Q8_0 for higher quality.

Q4_K_M needed
~6.7 GB
Usable on device
~16 GB
Device memory
24 GB
Best quant
Q4_K_M
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Which quant fits

Quant ladder vs ~16 GB usable
Q2_K
~5 GB
Q3_K_M
~5.6 GB
Q4_K_M
~6.7 GB
Q5_K_M
~7.4 GB
Q6_K
~8.3 GB
Q8_0
~10.5 GB
FP16
~18.5 GB
The line marks Apple M4 (24GB)'s ~16 GB budget; rungs past it are too large.

Run it

Install commands macOS

Pick your tool. All 3 load the same Q4_K_M weights.

Ollama
$ ollama run lfm2.5:8b-a1b
llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf LiquidAI/LFM2.5-8B-A1B-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get LiquidAI/LFM2.5-8B-A1B-GGUF
Model LFM
Parameters
8.3B (MoE, 1.5B active)
Q4_K_M size
5.2 GB
Q8_0 size
9 GB
Context
128k
Ollama tag
lfm2.5:8b-a1b
Full LFM2.5 8B-A1B requirements →
Device macOS
Memory
24 GB unified
Usable for weights
~16 GB
Power draw
~65 W
Best runtime
Ollama (MLX backend, preview) / MLX direct
Best models for Apple M4 (24GB) →

You could also run

Run LFM2.5 8B-A1B on other hardware

FAQ

Can Apple M4 (24GB) run LFM2.5 8B-A1B?

Yes. LFM2.5 8B-A1B runs on Apple M4 (24GB) at Q4_K_M (~6.7 GB of ~16 GB usable).

How much memory does LFM2.5 8B-A1B need?

Apple M4 (24GB) has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~5.2 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~6.7 GB at a 4k context. It is a Mixture-of-Experts model (8.3B total / 1.5B active), so all experts must stay in memory; memory tracks total params, not active params.

What is the best tool to run LFM2.5 8B-A1B on macOS?

LM Studio for a simple setup; mlx-lm for the most speed. vLLM is NOT a Mac tool, it is a CUDA/Linux serving engine. Unified memory is not a fixed VRAM slice; ~70% is usable for weights.

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LFM2.5 8B-A1B on Apple M4 (24GB) compatibility badge A live badge for your model card or README, updated as the data is.
Markdown
$ [![LFM2.5 8B-A1B on Apple M4 (24GB)](https://localmodel.run/badge/lfm2.5-8b-a1b/apple-m4-24gb.svg)](https://localmodel.run/can-i-run/lfm2.5-8b-a1b/apple-m4-24gb)

Sources

Weights are measured from GGUF files; KV cache and overhead are computed, so totals can vary ~15% with context and runtime. Any tok/s is a bandwidth estimate. See methodology.