Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB as fast as VRAM for Command A 111B?

Not always. MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB can often fit larger models thanks to unified memory, but a discrete GPU with dedicated high-bandwidth VRAM may still decode faster once the model fits. For this combination, the important distinction is capacity versus sustained throughput.

Can Command A 111B run on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if Command A 111B feels slow on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB?

Prioritize bandwidth, not only capacity. If this workload feels slow, the next useful step is often a GPU tier with materially faster memory bandwidth rather than only a small bump in capacity.

YES — Tight Fit

S85Excellent

Estimated from fit model

Command A 111B needs ~86.3 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB has 92.2 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~5 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: TightBandwidth: MediumStack: StandardBottleneck: Memory bandwidth

Operating mode

Choose the run profile you care about

Interactive favors responsiveness, while light API and scale-out lean harder on serving readiness. The fit stays the same, but the recommendation lens changes.

Current mode

Balanced

Balanced for general local use. Keeps the ranking neutral across personal and serving workflows.

Capabilities:

Select quantization to explore

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 86.3 GB, 9.7 tok/s, Tight fit

86.3 GB required92.2 GB available

94% VRAM used

Fit status

Tight fit

Decode

9.7 tok/s

TTFT

19994 ms

Safe context

40K

Memory

86.3 GB / 92.2 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights67.7 GB

KV Cache3.9 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom13.8 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsCommand A 111B on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Write a Python function to sort a list
Here's a Python function that sorts a list using quicksort:

def quicksort(arr):
    if len(arr) <= 1:
        return arr
    pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
    left   = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
    middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
    right  = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
    return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

# Example usage
numbers = [3, 6, 8, 10, 1, 2, 1]
print(quicksort(numbers))  # [1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10]

The algorithm picks a pivot, partitions the list into smaller, equal, and larger elements, then recursively sorts each partition and concatenates the results.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>Now add type hints and a docstring
def quicksort(arr: list[int]) -> list[int]:
    """Sort a list using the quicksort algorithm.

    Args:
        arr: List of integers to sort.

    Returns:
        A new sorted list.
    """
    if len(arr) <= 1:
        return arr
    pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
    left   = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
    middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
    right  = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
    return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

Added type hints for the input and return type, plus a Google-style docstring.
Estimated: 9.7 tok/s decode · 20.0s TTFT (warm) · 24 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

The model fits in shared memory, but shared-memory bandwidth is now the real limiter.

Fit does not mean dedicated-VRAM speed

Unified or shared memory can make a model technically fit, but sustained tokens per second may still trail a discrete high-bandwidth GPU with less total memory.

Very little memory headroom

You can run the model, but there is not much room left for longer context, bigger batches, extra apps, or future model updates.

Shared-memory contention still exists

The OS, browser, and inference runtime all compete for the same physical memory pool, so real-world headroom is less forgiving than raw capacity suggests.

Best improvement path

Prioritize bandwidth, not only capacity

If this workload feels slow, the next useful step is often a GPU tier with materially faster memory bandwidth rather than only a small bump in capacity.

Buy headroom, not only minimum fit

A slightly larger memory tier gives you safer context growth and makes the recommendation more future-proof.

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	S	Tight fit	9.7 tok/s	10906 ms	40K
Coding	S	Tight fit	5.1 tok/s	38109 ms	40K
Agentic Coding	S	Runs with offload	9.7 tok/s	29082 ms	40K
Reasoning	S	Tight fit	9.7 tok/s	23629 ms	40K
RAG	S	Runs with offload	9.7 tok/s	36352 ms	40K

Quantization options

How Command A 111B (111B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB (92.2 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	43.3 GB	Low	S87
Q3_K_S	3	54.4 GB	Low	S88
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run Command A 111B on your machine.

Run

ollama run command-a

Your hardware

More models your MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB can run

Model	Params	Grade	Decode	Capabilities
Devstral 2 123B Instruct	123B	S	8.2 tok/s
Qwen 3.5 122B A10B	122B	S

Frequently asked questions

Can MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB run Command A 111B?

Yes, MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB can run Command A 111B with a S grade (Tight fit). Expected decode speed: 5.1 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Command A 111B need?

Command A 111B (111B parameters) requires approximately 86.3 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Command A 111B?

The recommended quantization for Command A 111B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Command A 111B run at on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB?

On MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB, Command A 111B achieves approximately 5.1 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 38109ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB run Command A 111B for coding?

For coding workloads, Command A 111B on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB receives a S grade with 5.1 tok/s and 40K context.

What context window can Command A 111B use on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB?

On MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB, Command A 111B can safely use up to 40K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 262K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if Command A 111B feels slow on MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB?

See all results for MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB See all hardware for Command A 111B

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