Can I Run Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct on Apple M2 Pro?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated September 29, 2026
No. Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct needs 47 GB at 8K context (43.5 GB weights + 3.5 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the Apple M2 Pro has only 24 GB usable. No quantization we publish closes a gap that size.
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The numbers
| Model | Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct |
| Parameters | 72B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 47 GB |
| Apple M2 Pro usable memory | 24 GB |
| Verdict | Does not fit |
Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct on the Apple M2 Pro: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 32 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 147.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 80 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q6_K | 62.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q5_K_M | 54.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q4_K_M | 47 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q3_K_M | 34.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q2_K | 27.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
Assumes an 8K-token context with an f16 KV cache. A longer window needs more; a quantized KV cache needs less. “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 32 GB of unified memory. Figures are estimates from parameter count, quantization and memory bandwidth — the analyzer lets you tune KV-cache quant and context.
Context costs VRAM too. At Q4_K_M on the Apple M2 Pro: 8K 47 GB ✗ · 32K 55 GB ✗ · 128K 87.2 GB ✗. Past 8K it no longer fits 32 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
What to do next
Either step down to a smaller size in this family, or move to a NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation (48 GB), the card with the least memory we track that holds it.
No compatible GPU? Qwen 2.5 Family on 8 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Cheapest card we track with enough VRAM for Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct:
Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct needs ~47 GB but this GPU has 32 GB. Rent a A100 (80 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:
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Cloud rates verified 2026-07 — estimates, and marketplace prices vary. Buying price is GPU MSRP only, not a full PC.
Other Qwen 2.5 Family sizes on the Apple M2 Pro
- Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B — runs (22.3 GB)
- Qwen 2.5 14B Instruct — runs (10.9 GB)
- Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct — runs (5.9 GB)
Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct on nearby hardware
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24 GB) — does not fit
- Apple M3 Pro (36 GB) — does not fit
All Qwen 2.5 Family sizes on the Apple M2 Pro | Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct model page | Apple M2 Pro GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware