Can I Run MiniMax M2.5 on 128 GB system RAM?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated February 15, 2026
Technically yes, but not recommended
It loads, but it is not worth running — MiniMax M2.5 230B at Q3_K_M fits in 128 GB system RAM's 102.4 GB, yet the memory bandwidth limits it to ~0.7 tok/s (estimated), well below usable interactive speed.
Confidence: medium · Recommended quantization: Q3_K_M · Estimated speed: ~0.7 tok/s
128 GB system RAM — what it gives a model
| Usable memory for models | 102.4 GB |
| Memory bandwidth | 90 GB/s |
MiniMax M2.5 on 128 GB system RAM: memory by quantization
| Quant | Memory needed | Fits 102.4 GB? | Max context | Est. speed | Download |
|---|
| F16 | 464.3 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 460 GB |
| Q8_0 | 248.7 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 244.4 GB |
| Q6_K | 192.9 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 188.6 GB |
| Q5_K_M | 167.3 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 163 GB |
| Q4_K_M | 143.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 138.9 GB |
| Q3_K_M | 102.4 GB | ✓ Yes | 8K | ~0.7 tok/s | 98 GB |
| Q2_K | 79.9 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | ~0.9 tok/s | 75.6 GB |
What to watch out for
- At ~0.7 tok/s this loads but is too slow for interactive use — expect roughly 86 seconds per 60 tokens.
- Only ~0 GB of headroom at Q3_K_M: a longer context or a second application can push this into swapping.
- Q3_K_M 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.
- 1 larger variant of MiniMax M2.5 does 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.
- These figures assume CPU-only inference. Any discrete GPU, even an 8 GB one, will be several times faster for models that fit in its VRAM.
Recommended setup
llama.cpp (CPU build) or Ollama — both run without a GPU
How these numbers are calculated
- Memory need = quantized weights + KV cache at 8,192 tokens (f16) + 0.8 GB runtime overhead.
- 102.4 GB of the 128 GB is treated as usable for model weights (80% — the rest is the OS and running applications).
- DDR5-5600 dual channel at 89.6 GB/s peak. CPU decode is assumed to sustain 35% of that peak, because CPU inference is not purely bandwidth-bound — it also spends real time in compute and thread synchronisation. This figure is an assumption, not a fitted constant: no CPU measurement is in the calibration set.
- CPU-only inference: no GPU is assumed. A GPU of any size will beat these figures substantially.
- 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 MiniMax M2.5 on 128 GB system RAM?
It loads, but it is not worth running — MiniMax M2.5 230B at Q3_K_M fits in 128 GB system RAM's 102.4 GB, yet the memory bandwidth limits it to ~0.7 tok/s (estimated), well below usable interactive speed.
Which quantization of MiniMax M2.5 should I use on 128 GB system RAM?
Q3_K_M — it needs about 102.4 GB of the 102.4 GB available, downloads as roughly 98 GB, and runs at an estimated 0.7 tokens/sec with up to 8K of context.
What limits MiniMax M2.5 on 128 GB system RAM?
Memory bandwidth. The model fits, but at 89.6 GB/s it can only be read fast enough for roughly 0.7 tokens/sec.
Which runtime should I use?
llama.cpp (CPU build) or Ollama — both run without a GPU
Other RAM Capacities
Other Models on 128 GB system RAM
MiniMax M2.5 on GPUs
What This Model Is Good At
Model & Tools
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