Can I Run Command R Family on Apple M2?

Newer alternative. Cohere has not released a newer model in this library. If you are choosing today, Mistral Small 4 is a comparable current option. View Mistral Small 4 →

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026

Only with offload — Command R Family spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M2 (24 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

Buy This HardwareApple Mac mini M2 — 24 GB VRAM · 20 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 M2 Specs

VRAM24 GB unified memory
Memory Bandwidth100 GB/s

Command R (35B) on the Apple M2: VRAM by quantization

QuantVRAM neededFits 24 GB?Max context
F1676.2 GB✗ No
Q8_043.4 GB✗ No
Q6_K34.9 GB✗ No
Q5_K_M31 GB✗ No
Q4_K_M27.3 GB✗ No
Q3_K_M21.1 GB✓ Yes4K
Q2_K17.7 GB✓ Yes8K

VRAM needed assumes a 4K-token context with an f16 KV cache; “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 24 GB of unified memory. Figures are estimates from parameter count, quantization and memory bandwidth — the analyzer lets you tune KV-cache quant and context.

Why It Does Not Fit

Every Command R Family variant requires more VRAM than the Apple M2 provides (24 GB).

Nearest GPU That Fits

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32 GB VRAM).

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 32GB
32 GB VRAM · 575 W board power
2026 prices are volatile — check the current listing.
Check price on Amazon
Won't fit — rent Command R Family instead

Command R Family needs ~21 GB but this GPU has 24 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:

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

Will Command R Family run on the Apple M2?

Only with offload — Command R Family spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M2 (24 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

What GPU should I get instead to run Command R Family?

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32 GB VRAM) is the cheapest upgrade that fits it.

Command R Family on Other GPUs

VRAM Tier

Troubleshooting

Buying Guide

← Can I Run It? | Command R Family Model Page | Apple M2 GPU Page | Check Your Hardware