Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified)
Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified) can run Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large at FP16, though performance is marginal. Consider a higher-end GPU for better results.
Model Size
8.1B
Device VRAM
18 GB
Bandwidth
150 GB/s
Quantizations Tested
1
Performance by Quantization
Each row shows Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large performance at a different quality level on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified).
| 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 →Source: MLX performance estimates (2026-03-15)
Data last updated: 2026-03-15