Can I Run Gemma 3 4B Instruct on Apple M1 Pro?

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated August 15, 2026

Yes. Gemma 3 4B Instruct needs 2.4 GB at Q4_K_M and the Apple M1 Pro has 32 GB, leaving about 29.6 GB of headroom, at roughly 33 tok/s (estimated) with room for up to 128K of context.

The numbers

ModelGemma 3 4B Instruct
Parameters4B
QuantizationQ4_K_M
VRAM needed2.4 GB
Apple M1 Pro VRAM32 GB
VerdictRuns
Max context128K
Estimated speed~33 tok/s

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.

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Running Gemma 3 4B Instruct on this card:

Apple MacBook Pro M1 Pro
32 GB VRAM · 30 W board power
2026 prices are volatile — check the current listing.
Check price on Amazon

Buy vs. rent Gemma 3 4B Instruct
Buy the GPU
~$1,999
Apple M1 Pro · MSRP
Rent by the hour
from $0.34/hr
RTX 4090 (24 GB) class

At 2 hrs/day, buying (~$1,999) beats renting at $0.34/hr after about 8.2 years.

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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.

Other Gemma 3 sizes on the Apple M1 Pro

Gemma 3 4B Instruct on nearby hardware

All Gemma 3 sizes on the Apple M1 Pro | VRAM calculator for Gemma 3 4B Instruct | Apple M1 Pro GPU page | Check your hardware