Can I Run Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct on Apple M2 Max?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated September 29, 2026
Yes. Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct needs 47.8 GB at 8K context (44.3 GB weights + 3.5 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the Apple M2 Max has 72 GB usable, leaving about 24.2 GB of headroom, at roughly 5 tok/s (estimated) with room for up to 64K of context.
See what else this hardware can run →
The numbers
| Model | Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct |
| Parameters | 72B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 47.8 GB |
| Apple M2 Max usable memory | 72 GB |
| Verdict | Runs |
| Max context | 64K |
| Estimated speed | ~5 tok/s |
Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct on the Apple M2 Max: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 96 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 150.3 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 81.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q6_K | 63.7 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q5_K_M | 55.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q4_K_M | 47.8 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
| Q3_K_M | 34.8 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
| Q2_K | 27.6 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
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 96 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 Max: 8K 47.8 GB · 32K 55.9 GB · 125K 87.1 GB ✗. Past 125K it no longer fits 96 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
What to do next
Nothing to change — run it at Q4_K_M. If you want more capability, check whether the next size up also fits.
No compatible GPU? Qwen 2.5 VL on 8 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Running Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct on this card:
Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct needs ~48 GB but this GPU has 96 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 VL sizes on the Apple M2 Max
- Qwen 2.5 VL 7B Instruct — runs (6.3 GB)
Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct on nearby hardware
- NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe) (80 GB) — runs
- Apple M3 Max (128 GB) — runs
All Qwen 2.5 VL sizes on the Apple M2 Max | Qwen 2.5 VL 72B Instruct model page | Apple M2 Max GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware