Can Hermes 4.3 36B run on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB?

Q: Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB as fast as VRAM for Hermes 4.3 36B?

Not always. MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB 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

C46Usable

Estimated from fit model

Hermes 4.3 36B needs ~37.4 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB has 69.1 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~11 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) — 37.4 GB, 10.6 tok/s, Runs well

37.4 GB required69.1 GB available

54% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

10.6 tok/s

TTFT

18325 ms

Safe context

136K

Memory

37.4 GB / 69.1 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights22.0 GB

KV Cache4.2 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom10.4 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsHermes 4.3 36B on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Solve: If a train travels at 60 mph for 2.5 hours, how far does it go?
Let me work through this step by step.

Given information:
  - Speed = 60 mph (miles per hour)
  - Time  = 2.5 hours

Formula: Distance = Speed x Time

Calculation:
  Distance = 60 mph x 2.5 h
           = 150 miles

The train travels 150 miles.

Double-check: at 60 mph the train covers 60 miles each hour. In half an hour it covers 30 miles. So in 2.5 hours: 60 + 60 + 30 = 150 miles. Confirmed.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>What if the train stops for 20 minutes halfway?
The stop doesn't change the total distance covered while moving, but it affects total trip time.

Breakdown:
  - First half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles
  - Stop: 20 minutes (no distance)
  - Second half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles

Total distance: 150 miles (same)
Total time: 2.5 h + 0.33 h = 2.83 hours
Average speed: 150 / 2.83 = 53 mph

The distance stays the same but average speed drops to 53 mph because of the stop.
Estimated: 10.6 tok/s decode · 18.3s TTFT (warm) · 26 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	10.6 tok/s	9996 ms	136K
Coding	C	Runs well	10.6 tok/s	18325 ms	136K
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	10.6 tok/s	26655 ms	136K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	10.6 tok/s	21657 ms	136K
RAG	C	Runs well	10.6 tok/s	33319 ms	136K

Quantization options

How Hermes 4.3 36B (36B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB (69.1 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	14.0 GB	Low	C42
Q3_K_S	3	17.6 GB	Low	C42
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run Hermes 4.3 36B on your machine.

Run

lms load hf-nousresearch--hermes-4-3-36b-gguf && lms server start

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs Hermes 4.3 36B well

Mac Studio M2 Ultra 128GBBudget pick

128 GB Unified (+32)800 GB/s (+400)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 99%.21.1 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 99%.

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

~$3,999 MSRP

MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GBBest value

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

Raises estimated decode speed by about 158%.27.3 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 158%.

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

~$4,999 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB run Hermes 4.3 36B?

Yes, MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB can run Hermes 4.3 36B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 10.6 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Hermes 4.3 36B need?

Hermes 4.3 36B (36B parameters) requires approximately 37.4 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Hermes 4.3 36B?

The recommended quantization for Hermes 4.3 36B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Hermes 4.3 36B run at on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB?

On MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB, Hermes 4.3 36B achieves approximately 10.6 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 18325ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB run Hermes 4.3 36B for coding?

For coding workloads, Hermes 4.3 36B on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB receives a C grade with 10.6 tok/s and 136K context.

What context window can Hermes 4.3 36B use on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB?

On MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB, Hermes 4.3 36B can safely use up to 136K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB as fast as VRAM for Hermes 4.3 36B?

See all results for MacBook Pro M2 Max 96GB See all hardware for Hermes 4.3 36B

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