Can StarCoder2 15B run on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB?

Q: Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB as fast as VRAM for StarCoder2 15B?

Not always. MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB 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

C53Usable

Estimated from fit model

StarCoder2 15B needs ~16.8 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB has 25.9 GB. With Q5_K_M quantization, expect ~24 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

Q5_K_M (High quality) — 16.8 GB, 28.0 tok/s, Runs well

16.8 GB required25.9 GB available

65% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

28.0 tok/s

TTFT

6923 ms

Safe context

16K

Memory

16.8 GB / 25.9 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights10.8 GB

KV Cache1.2 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom3.9 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsStarCoder2 15B on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB
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: 28.0 tok/s decode · 6.9s TTFT (warm) · 70 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	24.4 tok/s	4329 ms	16K
Coding	C	Runs well	24.4 tok/s	7936 ms	16K
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	24.4 tok/s	11543 ms	16K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	24.4 tok/s	9379 ms	16K
RAG	C	Runs well	24.4 tok/s	14429 ms	16K

Quantization options

How StarCoder2 15B (15B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB (25.9 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	5.9 GB	Low	C47
Q3_K_S	3	7.4 GB	Low	C48
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run StarCoder2 15B on your machine.

Run

docker run --rm -it ghcr.io/ggerganov/llama.cpp:full \
  --hf-repo "bigcode/starcoder2-15b" \
  --hf-file "starcoder2-15b-Q5_K_M.gguf" \
  -c 4096 -ngl 99

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs StarCoder2 15B well

RTX 5090 32GBBudget pick

1792 GB/s (+1382)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 318%.117 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 318%.

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

~$1,999 MSRP

RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell 32GBBest value

896 GB/s (+486)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 177%.77.6 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 177%.

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

~$2,499 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB run StarCoder2 15B?

Yes, MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB can run StarCoder2 15B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 24.4 tok/s.

How much VRAM does StarCoder2 15B need?

StarCoder2 15B (15B parameters) requires approximately 16.8 GB of memory with Q5_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for StarCoder2 15B?

The recommended quantization for StarCoder2 15B is Q5_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will StarCoder2 15B run at on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB?

On MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB, StarCoder2 15B achieves approximately 24.4 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 7936ms using Q5_K_M quantization.

Can MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB run StarCoder2 15B for coding?

For coding workloads, StarCoder2 15B on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB receives a C grade with 24.4 tok/s and 16K context.

What context window can StarCoder2 15B use on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB?

On MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB, StarCoder2 15B can safely use up to 16K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 16K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

Is unified memory on MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB as fast as VRAM for StarCoder2 15B?

See all results for MacBook Pro M4 Max 36GB See all hardware for StarCoder2 15B

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