Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB as fast as VRAM for starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1?

Not always. MacBook Pro M1 Pro 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.

Can starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 run on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB?

YES — Runs Great

C50Usable

Estimated from fit model

starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 needs ~15.3 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB has 23.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~14 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) — 15.3 GB, 14.2 tok/s, Runs well

15.3 GB required23.0 GB available

67% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

14.2 tok/s

TTFT

13626 ms

Safe context

87K

Memory

15.3 GB / 23.0 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights9.2 GB

KV Cache1.8 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom3.5 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsstarcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 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: 14.2 tok/s decode · 13.6s TTFT (warm) · 36 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	14.2 tok/s	7433 ms	87K
Coding	C	Runs well	14.2 tok/s	13626 ms	87K
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	14.2 tok/s	19820 ms	87K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	14.2 tok/s	16104 ms	87K
RAG	C	Runs well	14.2 tok/s	24775 ms	87K

Quantization options

How starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 (15B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB (23.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	5.9 GB	Low	C46
Q3_K_S	3	7.4 GB	Low	C47
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 on your machine.

Run

lms load hf-lmstudio-community--starcoder2-15b-instruct-v0-1-gguf && lms server start

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 well

Intel Arc Pro B60 24GBBest value

456 GB/s (+256)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 89%.26.9 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 89%.

~$599 MSRP

MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GBBudget pick

36 GB Unified (+4)410 GB/s (+210)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 108%.29.6 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 108%.

~$2,499 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1?

Yes, MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB can run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 14.2 tok/s.

How much VRAM does starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 need?

starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 (15B parameters) requires approximately 15.3 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1?

The recommended quantization for starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 run at on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB?

On MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB, starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 achieves approximately 14.2 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 13626ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 for coding?

For coding workloads, starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB receives a C grade with 14.2 tok/s and 87K context.

What context window can starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 use on MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB?

On MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB, starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 can safely use up to 87K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

See all results for MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB See all hardware for starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1

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