Gemma 3 27B on Apple M4 Pro (48GB)
Apple M4 Pro (48GB) can run Gemma 3 27B at 8 tok/s at Q5_K_M, though performance is acceptable. Consider a higher-end GPU for better results.
Model Size
27.23B
Device VRAM
48 GB
Bandwidth
273 GB/s
Quantizations Tested
1
Performance by Quantization
Each row shows Gemma 3 27B performance at a different quality level on Apple M4 Pro (48GB).
| Quantization | Speed | TTFT | Fits in VRAM | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q5_K_M | 8 tok/s | 1200ms | ✓ Yes | Acceptable | estimated |
Notes
Q5_K_M
Same bandwidth as 24GB variant. Extra memory enables Q5_K_M for better quality at same speed.
About Gemma 3 27B
Gemma 3 27B (27.23B) is a chat, coding, reasoning, multi-purpose model. Google's strongest open-weight model. Excellent reasoning and instruction following. At 27B parameters, it's the sweet spot between 8B models (too limited) and 70B models (too expensive). Strong multilingual support. Fits on 24GB GPUs at Q4.
View all Gemma 3 27B hardware options →About Apple M4 Pro (48GB)
Apple M4 Pro (48GB) has 48 GB at 273 GB/s. Available in MacBook Pro 16-inch, Mac Mini.
See all models Apple M4 Pro (48GB) can run →Source: MLX performance estimates (2026-03-15)
Data last updated: 2026-03-15