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// RUN — FITS
Can the Apple M4 Max 36GB run AlphaFold 2?
Yes — here's how fast and up to what context, with real measured numbers.
AlphaFold 2 on the Apple M4 Max 36GB
| Quant | Fits? | Max context | Speed | Beyond context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 | yes | 469k | 1996.1-2407.1 t/s | ~36.6-44.1 (slow) |
| Q8 | yes | 470k | 3992.3-4814.2 t/s | ~73.1-88.2 (slow) |
| Q4 | yes | 471k | 7129-8596.8 t/s | ~130.6-157.5 (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 M4 Max 36GB run AlphaFold 2?▶
Yes. At Q4 it generates ~7129-8596.8 tok/s and fits up to 471k context; beyond that it spills to SSD swap and slows to ~130.6-157.5 tok/s.
How much context fits?▶
At Q4, up to about 471k tokens stay in fast memory; longer context spills to SSD swap and throughput collapses.