Whisper Large V3 on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified)
Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified) handles Whisper Large V3 well at Q5_K_M. A solid choice for this model.
Model Size
1.55B
Device VRAM
18 GB
Bandwidth
150 GB/s
Quantizations Tested
1
Performance by Quantization
Each row shows Whisper Large V3 performance at a different quality level on Apple M3 Pro (18GB Unified).
| Quantization | Speed | TTFT | Fits in VRAM | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q5_K_M | — | — | ✓ Yes | Good | estimated |
Notes
Q5_K_M
Transcription model. Slower than M4 Pro but usable for voice-to-code.
About Whisper Large V3
Whisper Large V3 (1.55B) is a transcription model. OpenAI's best open speech-to-text model. Supports 99 languages. Near-human accuracy for English. Low VRAM requirements — runs on any GPU. Useful for builders who need voice-to-code or meeting transcription.
View all Whisper Large V3 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