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// RUN — FITS
Can the Apple M3 Max 128GB run NLLB?
Yes — here's how fast and up to what context, with real measured numbers.
NLLB on the Apple M3 Max 128GB
| Quant | Fits? | Max context | Speed | Beyond context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 | yes | 14k | 2.5-3 t/s | ~0.1-0.1 (slow) |
| Q8 | yes | 181k | 5-6 t/s | ~0.1-0.2 (slow) |
| Q4 | yes | 254k | 8.9-10.7 t/s | ~0.2-0.3 (slow) |
Estimate (memory-bound). Beyond "max context" the KV cache spills to SSD swap and speed drops to the "beyond" figure.
FAQ
Can the Apple M3 Max 128GB run NLLB?▶
Yes. At Q4 it generates ~8.9-10.7 tok/s and fits up to 254k context; beyond that it spills to SSD swap and slows to ~0.2-0.3 tok/s.
How much context fits?▶
At Q4, up to about 254k tokens stay in fast memory; longer context spills to SSD swap and throughput collapses.