// RUN — FITS

Can the Apple M3 Max 36GB run Retrieval-Augmented Generator?

Yes — here's how fast and up to what context, with real measured numbers.

Retrieval-Augmented Generator on the Apple M3 Max 36GB

QuantFits?Max contextSpeedBeyond context
FP16 yes 452k 162.9-196.5 t/s ~5.4-6.5 (slow)
Q8 yes 462k 325.9-393 t/s ~10.9-13.1 (slow)
Q4 yes 466k 581.9-701.7 t/s ~19.4-23.4 (slow)

Estimate (memory-bound). Beyond "max context" the KV cache spills to SSD swap and speed drops to the "beyond" figure.

→ All models on the Apple M3 Max 36GB → Retrieval-Augmented Generator specs → Other hardware

FAQ

Can the Apple M3 Max 36GB run Retrieval-Augmented Generator?▶

Yes. At Q4 it generates ~581.9-701.7 tok/s and fits up to 466k context; beyond that it spills to SSD swap and slows to ~19.4-23.4 tok/s.

How much context fits?▶

At Q4, up to about 466k tokens stay in fast memory; longer context spills to SSD swap and throughput collapses.