text model · Llama · macOS
Can I run Llama 3.1 8B on Apple M5 Max (128GB)?
Yes. Llama 3.1 8B runs on Apple M5 Max (128GB) at Q4_K_M (~6.4 GB of ~96 GB usable).
Runs at Q4_K_M using ~6.4 GB of ~96 GB usable. You have room for FP16 for higher quality.
That figure is at a 4k context and moves about ±15% as context length changes. Apple M5 Max (128GB) leaves ~89.6 GB of headroom, room to step up to FP16 for higher quality.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~6.4 GB
- Usable on device
- ~96 GB
- Device memory
- 128 GB
- Best quant
- Q4_K_M
Which quant fits
Run it
Pick your tool. All 3 load the same Q4_K_M weights.
ollama run llama3.1:8b llama-cli -hf bartowski/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct-GGUF:Q4_K_M lms get bartowski/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct-GGUF - Parameters
- 8B
- Q4_K_M size
- 4.92 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 8.54 GB
- Context
- 128k
- Ollama tag
- llama3.1:8b
- Memory
- 128 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~96 GB
- Best runtime
- MLX direct / Ollama (MLX backend)
You could also run
Run Llama 3.1 8B on other hardware
FAQ
Can Apple M5 Max (128GB) run Llama 3.1 8B?
Yes. Llama 3.1 8B runs on Apple M5 Max (128GB) at Q4_K_M (~6.4 GB of ~96 GB usable).
How much memory does Llama 3.1 8B need?
Apple M5 Max (128GB) has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~4.92 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~6.4 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Llama 3.1 8B 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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A live badge for your model card or README, updated as the data is. [](https://localmodel.run/can-i-run/llama-3.1-8b/apple-m5-max-128gb) 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.