Can I Run Llama 3.3 on Apple M3?

Superseded model. Llama 3.3 has been superseded by Llama 4.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 July 12, 2026

Only with offload — Llama 3.3 spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M3 (24 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

Buy This HardwareApple MacBook Air M3 — 24 GB VRAM · 22 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)

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Apple M3 Specs

VRAM24 GB unified memory
Memory Bandwidth100 GB/s

Llama 3.3 70B Instruct on the Apple M3: VRAM by quantization

QuantVRAM neededFits 24 GB?Max context
F16142.1 GB✗ No
Q8_076.5 GB✗ No
Q6_K59.5 GB✗ No
Q5_K_M51.8 GB✗ No
Q4_K_M44.4 GB✗ No
Q3_K_M32 GB✗ No
Q2_K25.2 GB✗ No

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 Llama 3.3 variant requires more VRAM than the Apple M3 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 Llama 3.3 instead

Llama 3.3 needs ~20 GB but this GPU has 24 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:

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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.

FAQ

Is the Apple M3 enough to run Llama 3.3 locally?

Only with offload — Llama 3.3 spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M3 (24 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

What's the cheapest GPU that runs Llama 3.3?

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

Llama 3.3 on Other GPUs

VRAM Tier

Troubleshooting

Buying Guide

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