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// RUN — FITS
Can the Apple M3 Max 48GB run Gemma 3 QAT 4B?
Yes — here's how fast and up to what context, with real measured numbers.
Gemma 3 QAT 4B on the Apple M3 Max 48GB
| Quant | Fits? | Max context | Speed | Beyond context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 | yes | 514k | 34-41 t/s | ~0.9-1 (slow) |
| Q8 | yes | 575k | 68-82 t/s | ~1.7-2.1 (slow) |
| Q4 | yes | 602k | 121.4-146.4 t/s | ~3-3.7 (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 48GB run Gemma 3 QAT 4B?▶
Yes. At Q4 it generates ~121.4-146.4 tok/s and fits up to 602k context; beyond that it spills to SSD swap and slows to ~3-3.7 tok/s.
How much context fits?▶
At Q4, up to about 602k tokens stay in fast memory; longer context spills to SSD swap and throughput collapses.