Can I Run Aya Expanse on Apple M5?

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026

Yes, comfortably — you'll have ~12.5 GB of headroom running Aya Expanse 32B at Q4_K_M (19.501125 GB, ~4 tok/s (est.)) with room for up to 64K context.

Buy This HardwareApple MacBook Pro M5 — 32 GB VRAM · 23 W board powerDeploy in the Cloud NowRTX 4090 on RunPod — from $0.34/hr · rate checked 2026-07

or compare on Vast.ai from $0.35/hr (typical low · varies)

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Cloud GPU links are referral links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you buy through them, LLM Configurator may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, LLM Configurator earns from qualifying purchases.

Apple MacBook Pro M5
32 GB VRAM · 23 W board power
2026 prices are volatile — check the current listing.
Check price on Amazon

Apple M5 Specs

VRAM32 GB unified memory
Memory Bandwidth153 GB/s

Aya Expanse 32B on the Apple M5: VRAM by quantization

QuantVRAM neededFits 32 GB?Max context
F1666.1 GB✗ No
Q8_035.8 GB✗ No
Q6_K28 GB✓ Yes16K
Q5_K_M24.4 GB✓ Yes32K
Q4_K_M21 GB✓ Yes64K
Q3_K_M15.2 GB✓ Yes64K
Q2_K12.1 GB✓ Yes64K

VRAM needed assumes a 4K-token context with an f16 KV cache; “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 32 GB of unified memory. Figures are estimates from parameter count, quantization and memory bandwidth — the analyzer lets you tune KV-cache quant and context.

Aya Expanse Sizes That Fit the Apple M5

Aya Expanse 32BQ4_K_M · 19.501125 GB · ~4 tok/s (est.)
Aya Expanse 8BQ4_K_M · 4.8481125 GB · ~15 tok/s (est.)
Buy vs. rent Aya Expanse
Buy the GPU
~$1,599
Apple M5 · MSRP
Rent by the hour
from $0.34/hr
RTX 4090 (24 GB) class

At 2 hrs/day, buying (~$1,599) beats renting at $0.34/hr after about 6.5 years.

Affiliate links — we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

RunPod $0.34/hr
Rent on RunPod →
Vast.ai $0.35/hr · typical low · varies
Rent on Vast.ai →

Cloud rates verified 2026-07 — estimates, and marketplace prices vary. Buying price is GPU MSRP only, not a full PC.

FAQ

Does the Apple M5 have enough VRAM for Aya Expanse?

Yes, comfortably — you'll have ~12.5 GB of headroom running Aya Expanse 32B at Q4_K_M (19.501125 GB, ~4 tok/s (est.)) with room for up to 64K context.

Which quantization of Aya Expanse should I use on the Apple M5?

Aya Expanse 32B at Q4_K_M quantization (19.501125 GB), estimated ~4 tokens/sec, up to 64K context.

Aya Expanse on Other GPUs

Popular Models on the Apple M5

VRAM Tier

Troubleshooting

Buying Guide

← Can I Run It? | Aya Expanse Model Page | Apple M5 GPU Page | Check Your Hardware