Can Granite 4.1 8B run on Mac mini M4 32GB?

Q: Is unified memory on Mac mini M4 32GB as fast as VRAM for Granite 4.1 8B?

Not always. Mac mini M4 32GB 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

A72Great

Estimated — low-sample bucket· few comparable runs

Granite 4.1 8B needs ~11.7 GB VRAM. Mac mini M4 32GB has 23.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~18 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: RoomyBandwidth: Very lowStack: 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) — 11.7 GB, 17.5 tok/s, Runs well

11.7 GB required23.0 GB available

51% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

17.5 tok/s

TTFT

11056 ms

Safe context

90K

Memory

11.7 GB / 23.0 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights4.9 GB

KV Cache2.4 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom3.5 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsGranite 4.1 8B on Mac mini M4 32GB
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: 17.5 tok/s decode · 11.1s TTFT (warm) · 44 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	A	Runs well	17.5 tok/s	6031 ms	90K
Coding	A	Runs well	17.5 tok/s	11056 ms	90K
Agentic Coding	A	Runs well	17.5 tok/s	16082 ms	90K
Reasoning	A	Runs well	17.5 tok/s	13067 ms	90K
RAG	A	Runs well	17.5 tok/s	20103 ms	90K

Quantization options

How Granite 4.1 8B (8B params) fits at each quantization level on Mac mini M4 32GB (23.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	3.1 GB	Low	B69
Q3_K_S	3	3.9 GB	Low	B69
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run Granite 4.1 8B on your machine.

Run

ollama run granite4.1:8b

Your hardware

More models your Mac mini M4 32GB can run

Model	Params	Grade	Decode	Capabilities
Qwen3-Coder 30B A3B Instruct	30.5B	A	11.7 tok/s
Qwen 3.5 27B	27B	S	8.6 tok/s

Frequently asked questions

Can Mac mini M4 32GB run Granite 4.1 8B?

Yes, Mac mini M4 32GB can run Granite 4.1 8B with a A grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 17.5 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Granite 4.1 8B need?

Granite 4.1 8B (8B parameters) requires approximately 11.7 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Granite 4.1 8B?

The recommended quantization for Granite 4.1 8B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Granite 4.1 8B run at on Mac mini M4 32GB?

On Mac mini M4 32GB, Granite 4.1 8B achieves approximately 17.5 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 11056ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can Mac mini M4 32GB run Granite 4.1 8B for coding?

For coding workloads, Granite 4.1 8B on Mac mini M4 32GB receives a A grade with 17.5 tok/s and 90K context.

What context window can Granite 4.1 8B use on Mac mini M4 32GB?

On Mac mini M4 32GB, Granite 4.1 8B can safely use up to 90K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 131K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

Is unified memory on Mac mini M4 32GB as fast as VRAM for Granite 4.1 8B?

See all results for Mac mini M4 32GB See all hardware for Granite 4.1 8B

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