Can I Run DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B on Apple M5?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026
Yes. DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B needs 10.6 GB at 8K context (8.5 GB weights + 2.1 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the Apple M5 has 24 GB usable, leaving about 13.4 GB of headroom, at roughly 9 tok/s (estimated) with room for up to 64K of context.
See what else this hardware can run →
The numbers
| Model | DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B |
| Parameters | 14B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 10.6 GB |
| Apple M5 usable memory | 24 GB |
| Verdict | Runs |
| Max context | 64K |
| Estimated speed | ~9 tok/s |
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B on the Apple M5: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 32 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 30.1 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 17 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | Build for this |
| Q6_K | 13.6 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
| Q5_K_M | 12.1 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | Build for this |
| Q4_K_M | 10.6 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | Build for this |
| Q3_K_M | 8.1 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
| Q2_K | 6.7 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
Assumes an 8K-token context with an f16 KV cache. A longer window needs more; a quantized KV cache needs less. “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.
Context costs VRAM too. At Q4_K_M on the Apple M5: 8K 10.6 GB · 32K 14.6 GB · 128K 30.7 GB ✗. Past 128K it no longer fits 32 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
What to do next
Nothing to change — run it at Q4_K_M. If you want more capability, check whether the next size up also fits.
No compatible GPU? DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B on 16 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Running DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B on this card:
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B needs ~11 GB but this GPU has 32 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:
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Cloud rates verified 2026-07 — estimates, and marketplace prices vary. Buying price is GPU MSRP only, not a full PC.
Other DeepSeek R1 sizes on the Apple M5
- DeepSeek R1 (671B) — does not fit (406.5 GB)
- DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B — runs (6.7 GB)
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B on nearby hardware
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24 GB) — runs
- Apple M3 Pro (36 GB) — runs
All DeepSeek R1 sizes on the Apple M5 | DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 14B model page | Apple M5 GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware