Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified)
M3 Pro (18GB Unified) runs Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large at FP16 due to limited memory bandwidth. Slow but functional — see all options below.
Model Size
8.1B
Device VRAM
18 GB
Bandwidth
150 GB/s
Quantization
FP16
Performance by Quantization
OwnRig currently has one published compatibility entry for Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified) at FP16. This is the best supported pairing we can stand behind today.
| Quantization | Speed | TTFT | Fits in VRAM | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 | – | – | ✓ Yes | Marginal | estimated |
Notes
FP16
FP16 12.5GB fits barely in 14GB effective. Marginal headroom.
About Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large (8.1B) is a image gen model. Latest Stable Diffusion architecture with significantly improved prompt adherence, typography, and composition over SDXL. Higher VRAM requirement (12GB+ at FP16) but produces noticeably better images. The current standard for local image generation.
View all Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large 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 →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.