Can I Run Llama 3.2 Vision on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB)?

Superseded model. Llama 3.2 Vision has been superseded by Llama 4. This page is kept for reference; the newer family is a better starting point. View Llama 4 →

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated September 25, 2024

Yes — comfortably

Yes, comfortably — Llama 3.2 Vision 90B at Q5_K_M needs about 67.1 GB of the 96 GB usable on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB), leaving ~28.9 GB spare and running at ~5.1 tok/s (estimated), with room for about 65,536 tokens of context.

Confidence: high · Recommended quantization: Q5_K_M · Estimated speed: ~5.1 tok/s

MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB) — what it gives a model

Usable memory for models96 GB
Memory bandwidth614 GB/s
Form factorLaptop
Operating systemmacOS
Memory upgradeableNo — soldered

Llama 3.2 Vision on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB): memory by quantization

QuantMemory neededFits 96 GB?Max contextEst. speedDownload
F16181.8 GB✗ No177.6 GB
Q8_098.5 GB✗ No94.4 GB
Q6_K77 GB✓ Yes32K~4.5 tok/s72.8 GB
Q5_K_M67.1 GB✓ Yes64K~5.1 tok/s62.9 GB
Q4_K_M57.8 GB✓ Yes64K~6 tok/s53.6 GB
Q3_K_M42 GB✓ Yes64K~8.3 tok/s37.9 GB
Q2_K33.3 GB✓ Yes64K~10.6 tok/s29.2 GB

Which Llama 3.2 Vision sizes fit

VariantNeeds at Q4_K_MFits?Est. speed
Llama 3.2 Vision 90B57.8 GB✓ Fits~6 tok/s
Llama 3.2 Vision 11B8.5 GB✓ Fits~41.6 tok/s

What to watch out for

MacBook Pro M5 Max 128 GB limitations

Recommended setup

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

How these numbers are calculated

FAQ

Can I run Llama 3.2 Vision on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB)?

Yes, comfortably — Llama 3.2 Vision 90B at Q5_K_M needs about 67.1 GB of the 96 GB usable on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB), leaving ~28.9 GB spare and running at ~5.1 tok/s (estimated), with room for about 65,536 tokens of context.

Which quantization of Llama 3.2 Vision should I use on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB)?

Q5_K_M — it needs about 67.1 GB of the 96 GB available, downloads as roughly 62.9 GB, and runs at an estimated 5.1 tokens/sec with up to 64K of context.

What limits Llama 3.2 Vision on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB)?

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

Which runtime should I use?

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

Other Computers

Other Models on MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max, 128 GB)

Llama 3.2 Vision on GPUs

What This Model Is Good At

Model & Tools

← Can I Run It? | Llama 3.2 Vision model page | Check your hardware