Can I Run Llama 4 on Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB)?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated April 5, 2025
Yes
Yes — Llama 4 Scout 17B at Q2_K needs about 38.2 GB of the 48 GB usable on Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB) (~9.8 GB spare), at ~41 tok/s (estimated), with room for about 32,768 tokens of context.
Confidence: high · Recommended quantization: Q2_K · Estimated speed: ~41 tok/s
Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB) — what it gives a model
| Usable memory for models | 48 GB |
| Memory bandwidth | 546 GB/s |
| Form factor | Desktop |
| Operating system | macOS |
| Memory upgradeable | No — soldered |
Llama 4 on Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB): memory by quantization
| Quant | Memory needed | Fits 48 GB? | Max context | Est. speed | Download |
|---|
| F16 | 220.4 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 218 GB |
| Q8_0 | 118.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 115.8 GB |
| Q6_K | 91.8 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 89.4 GB |
| Q5_K_M | 79.7 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 77.3 GB |
| Q4_K_M | 68.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 65.8 GB |
| Q3_K_M | 48.9 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 46.5 GB |
| Q2_K | 38.2 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | ~41 tok/s | 35.8 GB |
Which Llama 4 sizes fit
| Variant | Needs at Q4_K_M | Fits? | Est. speed |
|---|
| Llama 4 Maverick 17B | 243.9 GB | ✗ Too large | — |
| Llama 4 Scout 17B | 68.2 GB | ✗ Too large | — |
What to watch out for
- Q2_K is the only quantization that fits, and it is a heavily degraded one — expect noticeably worse output than the same model at Q4_K_M. A smaller model at Q4 is usually the better trade.
- 2 larger variants of Llama 4 do not fit and would need CPU offload or different hardware.
- 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 Studio M4 Max 64 GB limitations
- Memory is soldered; the configuration chosen at purchase is permanent.
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.
- 64 GB unified memory at 546 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 computed from this model's published attention configuration.
FAQ
Can I run Llama 4 on Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB)?
Yes — Llama 4 Scout 17B at Q2_K needs about 38.2 GB of the 48 GB usable on Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB) (~9.8 GB spare), at ~41 tok/s (estimated), with room for about 32,768 tokens of context.
Which quantization of Llama 4 should I use on Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB)?
Q2_K — it needs about 38.2 GB of the 48 GB available, downloads as roughly 35.8 GB, and runs at an estimated 41 tokens/sec with up to 32K of context.
What limits Llama 4 on Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 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 Mac Studio (M4 Max, 64 GB)
Llama 4 on GPUs
What This Model Is Good At
Model & Tools
← Can I Run It? | Llama 4 model page | Check your hardware