Can Granite 3.1 8B run on MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB?

Q: Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB as fast as VRAM for Granite 3.1 8B?

Not always. MacBook Pro M3 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.

YES — Runs Great

C50Usable

Estimated from fit model

Granite 3.1 8B needs ~21.6 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB has 92.2 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~61 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: RoomyBandwidth: LowStack: StandardBottleneck: Balanced

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) — 21.6 GB, 60.8 tok/s, Runs well

21.6 GB required92.2 GB available

23% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

60.8 tok/s

TTFT

3184 ms

Safe context

128K

Memory

21.6 GB / 92.2 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights4.9 GB

KV Cache2.0 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom13.8 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsGranite 3.1 8B on MacBook Pro M3 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: 60.8 tok/s decode · 3.2s TTFT (warm) · 152 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

This setup is broadly balanced for this model.

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

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	C	Runs well	60.8 tok/s	1737 ms	128K
Coding	C	Runs well	60.8 tok/s	3184 ms	128K
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	60.8 tok/s	4632 ms	128K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	60.8 tok/s	3763 ms	128K
RAG	C	Runs well	60.8 tok/s	5790 ms	128K

Quantization options

How Granite 3.1 8B (8B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB (92.2 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	3.1 GB	Low	C44
Q3_K_S	3	3.9 GB	Low	C44
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run Granite 3.1 8B on your machine.

Run

ollama run granite3.1-dense

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs Granite 3.1 8B well

Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GBBudget pick

256 GB Unified (+128)819 GB/s (+419)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 84%.112 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 84%.

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.

~$6,999 MSRP

RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition 96GBBest value

1792 GB/s (+1392)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 84%.112 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 84%.

~$9,999 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB run Granite 3.1 8B?

Yes, MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB can run Granite 3.1 8B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 60.8 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Granite 3.1 8B need?

Granite 3.1 8B (8B parameters) requires approximately 21.6 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Granite 3.1 8B?

The recommended quantization for Granite 3.1 8B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Granite 3.1 8B run at on MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB?

On MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB, Granite 3.1 8B achieves approximately 60.8 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 3184ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB run Granite 3.1 8B for coding?

For coding workloads, Granite 3.1 8B on MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB receives a C grade with 60.8 tok/s and 128K context.

What context window can Granite 3.1 8B use on MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB?

On MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB, Granite 3.1 8B can safely use up to 128K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 128K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB as fast as VRAM for Granite 3.1 8B?

See all results for MacBook Pro M3 Max 128GB See all hardware for Granite 3.1 8B

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<iframe src="https://willitrunai.com/embed/granite-3.1-8b-on-m3-max-128gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>

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