MetaLlama 3.1 8B Instruct on Apple M4 Max (36GB Unified)
Yes — M4 Max (36GB Unified) runs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct excellently at Q8_0 — 55 tok/s. 36 GB VRAM with plenty of headroom.
Model Size
8.03B
Device VRAM
36 GB
Bandwidth
546 GB/s
Quantization
Q8_0
Performance by Quantization
OwnRig currently has one published compatibility entry for Llama 3.1 8B Instruct on Apple M4 Max (36GB Unified) at Q8_0. This is the best supported pairing we can stand behind today.
| Quantization | Speed | TTFT | Fits in VRAM | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q8_0 | 55 tok/s | 150ms | ✓ Yes | Excellent | estimated |
Notes
Q8_0
M4 Max bandwidth (546 GB/s) makes a real difference over M4 Pro. Well suited for daily use.
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. General capabilities with capable 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 M4 Max (36GB Unified)
Apple M4 Max (36GB Unified) has 36 GB at 546 GB/s. Available in MacBook Pro 16", Mac Studio.
See all models Apple M4 Max (36GB Unified) can run →Estimate method: MLX benchmark results. 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.