DeepSeekDeepSeek V3 on Apple M4 Max (128GB Unified)
M4 Max (128GB Unified) runs DeepSeek V3 at Q2_K — 3 tok/s due to limited memory bandwidth. 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 V3 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 | 3 tok/s | 5000ms | ✓ Yes | Marginal | estimated |
Notes
Q2_K
Barely fits at Q2_K (115GB) with heavy quality loss. The 128GB unified memory is just enough. Extremely slow due to model size vs bandwidth. Included to show what's technically possible, not recommended for production use.
About DeepSeek V3
DeepSeek V3 (671B) is a chat, coding, ai coding, reasoning, multi-purpose model. Massive MoE model rivaling GPT-4 class. Only ~37B parameters active per token despite 671B total. Requires multi-GPU or very large unified memory (128GB+ Apple Silicon at Q2/Q3). Not for casual home use. Included for completeness and to show what the high end looks like.
View all DeepSeek V3 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: MLX performance estimates. Reference hardware source: github.com (2026-03-15)
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.