Can I Run Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated June 3, 2026

Yes, but it is tight

Yes, but it is tight — Gemma 4 12B (Unified) at Q6_K needs about 11.9 GB of the 12 GB usable on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB), leaving only ~0.1 GB before the runtime starts swapping. Expect ~6.2 tok/s (estimated), with room for about 8,192 tokens of context.

Confidence: low · Recommended quantization: Q6_K · Estimated speed: ~6.2 tok/s

Mac mini (M4, 16 GB) — what it gives a model

Usable memory for models	12 GB
Memory bandwidth	120 GB/s
Form factor	Mini PC
Operating system	macOS
Memory upgradeable	No — soldered
Price	$599 (lib/data/ai-stations.ts (street price), checked 2026-07-06)

Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB): memory by quantization

Quant	Memory needed	Fits 12 GB?	Max context	Est. speed	Download
F16	26.1 GB	✗ No	—	—	24 GB
Q8_0	14.9 GB	✗ No	—	—	12.8 GB
Q6_K	11.9 GB	✓ Yes	8K	~6.2 tok/s	9.8 GB
Q5_K_M	10.6 GB	✓ Yes	16K	~7 tok/s	8.5 GB
Q4_K_M	9.4 GB	✓ Yes	16K	~8.1 tok/s	7.2 GB
Q3_K_M	7.2 GB	✓ Yes	32K	~11 tok/s	5.1 GB
Q2_K	6.1 GB	✓ Yes	32K	~13.7 tok/s	3.9 GB

Which Gemma 4 sizes fit

Variant	Needs at Q4_K_M	Fits?	Est. speed
Gemma 4 31B	21.3 GB	✗ Too large	—
Gemma 4 26B-A4B	18.2 GB	✗ Too large	—
Gemma 4 12B (Unified)	9.4 GB	✓ Fits	~8.1 tok/s
Gemma 4 E4B	6.8 GB	✓ Fits	~11.7 tok/s
Gemma 4 E2B	4.9 GB	✓ Fits	~17.4 tok/s

What to watch out for

Only ~0.1 GB of headroom at Q6_K: a longer context or a second application can push this into swapping.
2 larger variants of Gemma 4 do not fit and would need CPU offload or different hardware.
This model does not publish its full attention configuration, so the KV-cache share of these figures is inferred from its parameter count rather than computed exactly.
Memory on this machine is not upgradeable, so the configuration you buy is the ceiling for every model you will ever run on it.

Mac mini M4 16 GB limitations

The cheapest credible always-on local-AI box, but 16 GB caps it at small and mid-size models.
Memory is soldered; upgrading means replacing the machine.

Recommended setup

Ollama or LM Studio (Metal) — MLX for the fastest Apple-native throughput

How these numbers are calculated

Memory need = quantized weights + KV cache at 8,192 tokens (f16) + 0.8 GB runtime overhead.
16 GB unified memory at 120 GB/s, shared between CPU and GPU.
macOS reserves a share of unified memory for the system, so not all of it is available to a model.
Throughput is a memory-bandwidth roofline estimate, not a measurement. It is labelled "estimated" everywhere it appears.
KV cache is inferred from the parameter count because this model does not publish its full attention configuration.

FAQ

Can I run Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

Which quantization of Gemma 4 should I use on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

Q6_K — it needs about 11.9 GB of the 12 GB available, downloads as roughly 9.8 GB, and runs at an estimated 6.2 tokens/sec with up to 8K of context.

What limits Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

Nothing binding — the model fits with headroom and generates at a usable speed on this hardware.

Can I Run Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

Mac mini (M4, 16 GB) — what it gives a model

Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB): memory by quantization

Which Gemma 4 sizes fit

What to watch out for

Mac mini M4 16 GB limitations

Recommended setup

How these numbers are calculated

FAQ

Can I run Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

Which quantization of Gemma 4 should I use on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

What limits Gemma 4 on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)?

Which runtime should I use?

Other Computers

Other Models on Mac mini (M4, 16 GB)

Gemma 4 on GPUs

What This Model Is Good At

Model & Tools