Apple
Apple M4 Pro (48GB)
48 GB · 273 GB/s
$2,499
Updated 2026-03-01
The Apple M4 Pro (48GB) with 48 GB unified memory can handle 12 AI models across chat, coding, ai_coding. Best performance: Llama 3.2 1B Instruct at 90 tok/s (excellent). For AI coding workflows, it supports the Full AI Builder tier — supports concurrent coding + reasoning + embeddings. Current price: approximately $2,499.
— OwnRig methodology, data updated 2026-03-01
Builder Capability: Full AI Builder
Supports concurrent coding + reasoning + embeddings. Can run 70B models.
Specifications
Memory
- Capacity
- 48 GB
- Bandwidth
- 273 GB/s
- Type
- Unified Memory
Power & Platform
- TDP
- 45W
- GPU Cores
- 20
- Host Devices
- MacBook Pro 16-inch, Mac Mini
Compatible Models
| Model | Quant | Speed | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct | Q8_0 | 32 tok/s | Good | M4 Pro 48GB same bandwidth as 24GB. Extra VRAM enables larger concurrent models. |
| Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B Instruct | Q4_K_M | 10 tok/s | Acceptable | 48GB fits 32B Q4. Same speed as M4 Pro 24GB but no need to quantize further. |
| Phi-4 14B | Q5_K_M | 35 tok/s | Good | 14B Q5 fits with massive headroom. Good reasoning on Mac. |
| DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 7B | Q8_0 | 38 tok/s | Good | Full Q8 7B reasoning. Extra VRAM enables concurrent workloads. |
| nomic-embed-text v1.5 | FP16 | — | Excellent | 0.5GB VRAM. Trivial on 48GB unified memory. |
| Llama 3.2 3B Instruct | Q8_0 | 60 tok/s | Excellent | Same bandwidth as M4 Pro 24GB. 3B fits with massive headroom for concurrent models. |
| Llama 3.2 1B Instruct | Q8_0 | 90 tok/s | Excellent | Same bandwidth as M4 Pro 24GB. 1B fits with 46GB headroom. |
| Phi-4 Mini | Q8_0 | 55 tok/s | Excellent | Same bandwidth as M4 Pro 24GB. 3.8B fits with 43GB headroom. |
| Whisper Large V3 Turbo | FP16 | — | Excellent | Same as M4 Pro 24GB. Core ML acceleration for transcription. |
| Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large | FP16 | — | Acceptable | Same bandwidth as M4 Pro 24GB. FP16 fits with 35GB headroom. ~20s per image. |
| Gemma 3 27B | Q5_K_M | 8 tok/s | Acceptable | Same bandwidth as 24GB variant. Extra memory enables Q5_K_M for better quality at same speed. |
| DeepSeek V3 | Q2_K | — | Not Viable | 671B MoE model requires 115GB+ at Q2_K. 48GB insufficient. Would need M4 Max 128GB. |
Buy Used Mac
Prices and availability vary. Inspect hardware before purchasing.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What AI models can Apple M4 Pro (48GB) run?
- The Apple M4 Pro (48GB) can run 12 AI models. Top performers include Llama 3.2 1B Instruct, Llama 3.2 3B Instruct, Phi-4 Mini. See the full compatibility table above for speeds and quality ratings.
- Is Apple M4 Pro (48GB) good for AI coding?
- Yes. With 48 GB, the Apple M4 Pro (48GB) supports the Full AI Builder tier — concurrent coding + reasoning + embeddings.
- How much VRAM does Apple M4 Pro (48GB) have?
- The Apple M4 Pro (48GB) has 48 GB of unified memory with 273 GB/s bandwidth.
- Can Apple M4 Pro (48GB) run 70B models?
- 70B models can run on the Apple M4 Pro (48GB) with CPU offloading, but performance will be reduced. Consider a GPU with 48GB+ VRAM for full-speed 70B inference.
- Is Apple M4 Pro (48GB) worth it for AI?
- At $2,499, the Apple M4 Pro (48GB) offers 48 GB VRAM and runs 12 AI models. It's a strong choice for local AI inference.
Generation: M4. Last updated: 2026-03-01.