Can I Run Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on Apple M4 Pro?

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated August 15, 2026

Only with offload — Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M4 Pro (24 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

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Apple M4 Pro Specs

VRAM24 GB unified memory
Memory Bandwidth273 GB/s

Laguna XS 2.1 33B-A3B on the Apple M4 Pro: VRAM by quantization

QuantVRAM neededFits 24 GB?Max context
F1667.7 GB✗ No
Q8_036.8 GB✗ No
Q6_K28.8 GB✗ No
Q5_K_M25.1 GB✗ No
Q4_K_M21.6 GB✓ Yes8K
Q3_K_M15.8 GB✓ Yes32K
Q2_K12.6 GB✓ Yes32K

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 Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 variant requires more VRAM than the Apple M4 Pro provides (24 GB).

Nearest GPU That Fits

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32 GB VRAM).

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 32GB
Launch MSRP: $1,999
2026 prices are volatile — check the current listing.
Check price on Amazon
Won't fit — rent Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 instead

Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 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

Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on the Apple M4 Pro — does it fit?

Only with offload — Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M4 Pro (24 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

What GPU should I get instead to run Poolside Laguna XS 2.1?

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

Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on Other GPUs

VRAM Tier

Troubleshooting

Buying Guide

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