DeepSeekDeepSeek R1 on Apple M4 Max (128GB Unified)
M4 Max (128GB Unified) runs DeepSeek R1 at Q2_K — 4 tok/s with partial CPU offloading. Slow but functional — see all options below.
Model Size
671B
Device VRAM
128 GB
Bandwidth
546 GB/s
Quantization
Q2_K
Performance by Quantization
OwnRig currently has one published compatibility entry for DeepSeek R1 on Apple M4 Max (128GB Unified) at Q2_K. This is the best supported pairing we can stand behind today.
| Quantization | Speed | TTFT | Fits in VRAM | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2_K | 4 tok/s | 2000ms | ✓ Yes | Marginal | estimated |
Notes
Q2_K
671B MoE at Q2 needs ~115GB. Fits on 128GB M4 Max but very slow. Same architecture as DeepSeek V3.
About DeepSeek R1
DeepSeek R1 (671B) is a reasoning, coding, ai coding, multi-purpose model. DeepSeek's reasoning-focused model. Same MoE architecture as V3 (671B total, ~37B active per token). Excels at chain-of-thought reasoning, math, and complex code. Requires the same massive hardware as V3: multi-GPU or 128GB+ Apple Silicon at heavy quantization. For most home users, the distilled versions (7B, 32B) are more practical.
View all DeepSeek R1 hardware options →About Apple M4 Max (128GB Unified)
Apple M4 Max (128GB Unified) has 128 GB at 546 GB/s. Available in MacBook Pro 16", Mac Studio.
See all models Apple M4 Max (128GB Unified) can run →Estimate method: Community benchmarks. Reference hardware source: github.com (2026-01-15)
Performance varies by driver version, inference engine, quantization method, context length, and system configuration. Figures shown are estimates based on community benchmarks and may not reflect your exact setup. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. OwnRig is independent and not affiliated with any hardware or AI model provider.