Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GBBudget pick
256 GB Unified (+128)
B
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.56 tok/s decode
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$6,999 MSRP
Phi 3.5 Mini 4B needs ~22.0 GB VRAM. Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB has 128.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~56 tok/s.
Operating mode
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.
Select quantization to explore
Fit status
Runs well
Decode
56.0 tok/s
TTFT
3457 ms
Safe context
128K
Memory
22.0 GB / 128.0 GB
The raw memory story may look fine, but the software ecosystem is still a constraint here.
Runtime ecosystem is narrower than CUDA
Intel GPUs can look attractive on memory per dollar, but local AI tooling, kernels, and model coverage are still broader and easier on CUDA today.
Prefer CUDA if you want the path of least resistance
If your goal is maximum runtime coverage, easier troubleshooting, and better support for new local AI releases, CUDA is usually still the safer upgrade path.
| Workload | Grade | Fit | Decode | TTFT | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chat | B | Runs well | 56.0 tok/s | 1886 ms | 128K |
| Coding | B | Runs well | 56.0 tok/s | 3457 ms | 128K |
| Agentic Coding | B | Runs well | 56.0 tok/s | 5029 ms | 128K |
| Reasoning | B | Runs well | 56.0 tok/s | 4086 ms | 128K |
| RAG | B | Runs well | 56.0 tok/s | 6286 ms | 128K |
How Phi 3.5 Mini 4B (4B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB (128.0 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 1.6 GB | Low | C54 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 2.0 GB | Low | C54 |
NVFP4 | 4 |
Copy-paste commands to run Phi 3.5 Mini 4B on your machine.
Run
ollama run phi3.5Upgrade options
Yes, Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB can run Phi 3.5 Mini 4B with a B grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 56.0 tok/s.
Phi 3.5 Mini 4B (4B parameters) requires approximately 22.0 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.
The recommended quantization for Phi 3.5 Mini 4B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.
On Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB, Phi 3.5 Mini 4B achieves approximately 56.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 3457ms using Q4_K_M quantization.
For coding workloads, Phi 3.5 Mini 4B on Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB receives a B grade with 56.0 tok/s and 128K context.
On Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB, Phi 3.5 Mini 4B can safely use up to 128K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 128K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.
Paste this snippet into any page to show a live fit card.
<iframe src="https://willitrunai.com/embed/phi-3.5-mini-4b-on-max-1550-128gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>
Preview:
2.2 GB |
| Medium |
| C54 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 2.4 GB | Medium | C54 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 2.9 GB | High | C54 |
Q6_K | 6 | 3.3 GB | High | C54 |
Q8_0 | 8 | 4.3 GB | Very High | C54 |
F16Best for your GPU | 16 | 8.2 GB | Maximum | C54 |
Prefer CUDA if you want the path of least resistance. If your goal is maximum runtime coverage, easier troubleshooting, and better support for new local AI releases, CUDA is usually still the safer upgrade path.
Often yes, if your goal is the easiest setup and the widest runtime support. Intel can offer attractive memory capacity, but CUDA still tends to win on tooling maturity, guides, kernels, and model coverage for local AI.