Can I Run Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 GB)?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated August 15, 2026
Yes
Yes — Laguna XS 2.1 33B-A3B at Q6_K needs about 29.7 GB of the 36 GB usable on MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 GB) (~6.3 GB spare), at ~69.9 tok/s (estimated), with room for about 32,768 tokens of context.
Confidence: medium · Recommended quantization: Q6_K · Estimated speed: ~69.9 tok/s
MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 GB) — what it gives a model
| Usable memory for models | 36 GB |
| Memory bandwidth | 546 GB/s |
| Form factor | Laptop |
| Operating system | macOS |
| Memory upgradeable | No — soldered |
| Price | $3,999 (lib/data/laptops.ts (street price), checked 2026-07-06) |
Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 GB): memory by quantization
| Quant | Memory needed | Fits 36 GB? | Max context | Est. speed | Download |
|---|
| F16 | 68.6 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 66 GB |
| Q8_0 | 37.7 GB | ✗ No | — | — | 35.1 GB |
| Q6_K | 29.7 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | ~69.9 tok/s | 27.1 GB |
| Q5_K_M | 26 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | ~75.8 tok/s | 23.4 GB |
| Q4_K_M | 22.6 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | ~82.4 tok/s | 19.9 GB |
| Q3_K_M | 16.7 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | ~96.6 tok/s | 14.1 GB |
| Q2_K | 13.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | ~106.6 tok/s | 10.8 GB |
What to watch out for
- 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.
- Memory on this machine is not upgradeable, so the configuration you buy is the ceiling for every model you will ever run on it.
MacBook Pro M4 Max 48 GB limitations
- Unified memory is soldered and cannot be upgraded after purchase.
- macOS reserves a share of unified memory for the system, so not all 48 GB is available to a model.
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.
- 48 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 inferred from the parameter count because this model does not publish its full attention configuration.
FAQ
Can I run Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 GB)?
Yes — Laguna XS 2.1 33B-A3B at Q6_K needs about 29.7 GB of the 36 GB usable on MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 GB) (~6.3 GB spare), at ~69.9 tok/s (estimated), with room for about 32,768 tokens of context.
Which quantization of Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 should I use on MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 GB)?
Q6_K — it needs about 29.7 GB of the 36 GB available, downloads as roughly 27.1 GB, and runs at an estimated 69.9 tokens/sec with up to 32K of context.
What limits Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max, 48 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" (M4 Max, 48 GB)
Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 on GPUs
What This Model Is Good At
Model & Tools
← Can I Run It? | Poolside Laguna XS 2.1 model page | Check your hardware