Can StarCoder 15B run on Mac mini M4 64GB?

YES — Runs Great

A74Great

Estimated from fit model

StarCoder 15B needs ~33.6 GB VRAM. Mac mini M4 64GB has 46.1 GB. With Q5_K_M quantization, expect ~8 tok/s.

Runtime: OllamaCapacity: RoomyBandwidth: Very lowStack: BasicBottleneck: 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

Q5_K_M (High quality) — 33.6 GB, 7.5 tok/s, Runs well

33.6 GB required46.1 GB available

73% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

7.5 tok/s

TTFT

25677 ms

Safe context

Memory

33.6 GB / 46.1 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights10.8 GB

KV Cache14.6 GB

Runtime1.2 GB

Headroom6.9 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsStarCoder 15B on Mac mini M4 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: 7.5 tok/s decode · 25.7s TTFT (warm) · 19 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

The model fits in shared memory, but shared-memory bandwidth is now the real limiter.

Fit does not mean dedicated-VRAM speed

Unified or shared memory can make a model technically fit, but sustained tokens per second may still trail a discrete high-bandwidth GPU with less total memory.

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

Prioritize bandwidth, not only capacity

If this workload feels slow, the next useful step is often a GPU tier with materially faster memory bandwidth rather than only a small bump in capacity.

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	A	Runs well	7.5 tok/s	14006 ms	8K
Coding	A	Runs well	7.5 tok/s	25677 ms	8K
Agentic Coding	A	Runs with offload (needs ~0.5 GB host RAM)	6.9 tok/s	40703 ms	8K
Reasoning	A	Runs well	7.5 tok/s	30345 ms	8K
RAG	A	Runs with offload (needs ~0.5 GB host RAM)	6.9 tok/s	50879 ms	8K

Quantization options

How StarCoder 15B (15B params) fits at each quantization level on Mac mini M4 64GB (46.1 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	5.9 GB	Low	B67
Q3_K_S	3	7.4 GB	Low	B68
NVFP4	4	8.4 GB	Medium	B68
Q4_K_M	4	9.2 GB	Medium	B68
Q5_K_M	5	10.8 GB	High	B68
Q6_K	6	12.3 GB	High	B69
Q8_0	8	16.1 GB	Very High	A70
F16Best for your GPU	16	30.7 GB	Maximum	A73

Get started

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

Run

lms load starcoder && lms server start

Your hardware

More models your Mac mini M4 64GB can run

Model	Params	Grade	Decode
Qwen3-Coder 30B A3B Instruct	30.5B	S	13.1 tok/s
Qwen 3.5 27B	27B	S	9.3 tok/s
Qwen 3.6 27B	27B	S	9.4 tok/s
Qwen 3.6 35B A3B	35B	S	12.1 tok/s
Qwen3-VL 30B A3B Instruct	30B	S	13.5 tok/s

Frequently asked questions

Can Mac mini M4 64GB run StarCoder 15B?

Yes, Mac mini M4 64GB can run StarCoder 15B with a A grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 7.5 tok/s.

How much VRAM does StarCoder 15B need?

StarCoder 15B (15B parameters) requires approximately 33.6 GB of memory with Q5_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for StarCoder 15B?

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

What speed will StarCoder 15B run at on Mac mini M4 64GB?

On Mac mini M4 64GB, StarCoder 15B achieves approximately 7.5 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 25677ms using Q5_K_M quantization.

Can Mac mini M4 64GB run StarCoder 15B for coding?

For coding workloads, StarCoder 15B on Mac mini M4 64GB receives a A grade with 7.5 tok/s and 8K context.

What context window can StarCoder 15B use on Mac mini M4 64GB?

On Mac mini M4 64GB, StarCoder 15B can safely use up to 8K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 8K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if StarCoder 15B feels slow on Mac mini M4 64GB?

Prioritize bandwidth, not only capacity. If this workload feels slow, the next useful step is often a GPU tier with materially faster memory bandwidth rather than only a small bump in capacity.

Is unified memory on Mac mini M4 64GB as fast as VRAM for StarCoder 15B?

Not always. Mac mini M4 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.

See all results for Mac mini M4 64GB See all hardware for StarCoder 15B

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