Llama 3.1 8B Instruct on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified)
Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified) can run Llama 3.1 8B Instruct at 15 tok/s at Q4_K_M, though performance is acceptable. Consider a higher-end GPU for better results.
Model Size
8.03B
Device VRAM
18 GB
Bandwidth
150 GB/s
Quantizations Tested
1
Performance by Quantization
Each row shows Llama 3.1 8B Instruct performance at a different quality level on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified).
| Quantization | Speed | TTFT | Fits in VRAM | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4_K_M | 15 tok/s | 400ms | ✓ Yes | Acceptable | estimated |
Notes
Q4_K_M
150 GB/s is the bottleneck. Usable but slower than M4 Pro.
About Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (8.03B) is a chat, coding, ai coding, reasoning, multi-purpose model. Best-in-class 8B model. Strong general capabilities with excellent coding support. The go-to small model for local inference — fast, accurate, and well-supported across all inference engines.
View all Llama 3.1 8B Instruct hardware options →About Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified)
Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified) has 18 GB at 150 GB/s. Available in MacBook Pro 14", MacBook Pro 16".
See all models Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified) can run →Source: MLX performance estimates (2026-03-15)
Data last updated: 2026-03-01