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// RUN — FITS
Can the Apple M3 Max 36GB run Gemma 3 270M?
Yes — here's how fast and up to what context, with real measured numbers.
Gemma 3 270M on the Apple M3 Max 36GB
| Quant | Fits? | Max context | Speed | Beyond context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 | yes | 463k | 377.8-455.6 t/s | ~12.6-15.2 (slow) |
| Q8 | yes | 467k | 755.6-911.1 t/s | ~25.2-30.4 (slow) |
| Q4 | yes | 469k | 1349.2-1627 t/s | ~45-54.2 (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 36GB run Gemma 3 270M?▶
Yes. At Q4 it generates ~1349.2-1627 tok/s and fits up to 469k context; beyond that it spills to SSD swap and slows to ~45-54.2 tok/s.
How much context fits?▶
At Q4, up to about 469k tokens stay in fast memory; longer context spills to SSD swap and throughput collapses.