Can Granite Code 8B run on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB?

Q: Is unified memory on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB as fast as VRAM for Granite Code 8B?

Not always. Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB 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

A71Great

Estimated from fit model

Granite Code 8B needs ~35.4 GB VRAM. Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB has 184.3 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~112 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: RoomyBandwidth: HighStack: 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) — 35.4 GB, 112.0 tok/s, Runs well

35.4 GB required184.3 GB available

19% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

112.0 tok/s

TTFT

1729 ms

Safe context

Memory

35.4 GB / 184.3 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights4.9 GB

KV Cache2.0 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom27.6 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsGranite Code 8B on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB
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: 112.0 tok/s decode · 1.7s TTFT (warm) · 280 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	112.0 tok/s	943 ms	8K
Coding	A	Runs well	112.0 tok/s	1729 ms	8K
Agentic Coding	A	Runs well	112.0 tok/s	2514 ms	8K
Reasoning	A	Runs well	112.0 tok/s	2043 ms	8K
RAG	A	Runs well	112.0 tok/s	3143 ms	8K

Quantization options

How Granite Code 8B (8B params) fits at each quantization level on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB (184.3 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	3.1 GB	Low	B62
Q3_K_S	3	3.9 GB	Low	B62
NVFP4	4

Get started

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

Run

ollama run granite-code:8b

Your hardware

More models your Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB can run

Model	Params	Grade	Decode	Capabilities
Devstral 2 123B Instruct	123B	S	8.1 tok/s
Qwen3-Coder 30B A3B Instruct	30.5B	S

Frequently asked questions

Can Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB run Granite Code 8B?

Yes, Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB can run Granite Code 8B with a A grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 112.0 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Granite Code 8B need?

Granite Code 8B (8B parameters) requires approximately 35.4 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Granite Code 8B?

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

What speed will Granite Code 8B run at on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB?

On Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB, Granite Code 8B achieves approximately 112.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 1729ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB run Granite Code 8B for coding?

For coding workloads, Granite Code 8B on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB receives a A grade with 112.0 tok/s and 8K context.

What context window can Granite Code 8B use on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB?

On Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB, Granite Code 8B can safely use up to 8K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 8K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

Is unified memory on Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB as fast as VRAM for Granite Code 8B?

See all results for Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB See all hardware for Granite Code 8B

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