Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB as fast as VRAM for Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1?

Not always. MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB 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 Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 run on MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB?

YES — Runs Great

C46Usable

Estimated from fit model

Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 needs ~12.9 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB has 46.1 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~65 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) — 12.9 GB, 64.6 tok/s, Runs well

12.9 GB required46.1 GB available

28% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

64.6 tok/s

TTFT

2995 ms

Safe context

663K

Memory

12.9 GB / 46.1 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights4.3 GB

KV Cache0.8 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom6.9 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsMamba Codestral 7B v0.1 on MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB
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: 64.6 tok/s decode · 3.0s TTFT (warm) · 162 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	64.6 tok/s	1634 ms	663K
Coding	C	Runs well	64.6 tok/s	2995 ms	663K
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	64.6 tok/s	4357 ms	663K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	64.6 tok/s	3540 ms	663K
RAG	C	Runs well	64.6 tok/s	5446 ms	663K

Quantization options

How Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 (7B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB (46.1 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	2.7 GB	Low	C41
Q3_K_S	3	3.4 GB	Low	C41
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 on your machine.

Run

lms load hf-gabriellarson--mamba-codestral-7b-v0-1-gguf && lms server start

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 well

MacBook Pro M4 Max 96GBBudget pick

96 GB Unified (+32)546 GB/s (+146)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 43%.92.6 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 43%.

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

~$2,499 MSRP

Mac Studio M3 Ultra 96GBBest value

96 GB Unified (+32)819 GB/s (+419)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 52%.98 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 52%.

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

~$3,999 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB run Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1?

Yes, MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB can run Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 64.6 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 need?

Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 (7B parameters) requires approximately 12.9 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1?

The recommended quantization for Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 run at on MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB?

On MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB, Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 achieves approximately 64.6 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 2995ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB run Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 for coding?

For coding workloads, Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 on MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB receives a C grade with 64.6 tok/s and 663K context.

What context window can Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 use on MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB?

On MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB, Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1 can safely use up to 663K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

See all results for MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB See all hardware for Mamba Codestral 7B v0.1

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