How much VRAM does DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B need?

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B (32B parameters) requires approximately 32.6 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B?

The recommended quantization for DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

Can it run?

Yes, Mac mini M4 64GB can run DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 4.4 tok/s.

CUsable

Runs well

Using Q4_K_M in Ollama

Capabilities:

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

4.4 tok/s

TTFT

43739 ms

Safe context

23K

Memory

32.6 GB / 46.1 GB

Weights19.5 GB

KV Cache5.0 GB

Runtime1.2 GB

Headroom6.9 GB

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	4.4 tok/s	63621 ms	33K
Chat	C	Runs well	4.4 tok/s	23858 ms	12K
Coding	C	Runs well	4.4 tok/s	43739 ms	23K
RAG	C	Runs well	4.4 tok/s	79526 ms	33K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	4.4 tok/s	51692 ms	23K

How DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B (32B params) fits at each quantization level on Mac mini M4 64GB (46.1 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	12.5 GB	Low	D35
Q3_K_S	3	15.7 GB	Low	D37
NVFP4	4

Ollama

ollama run deepseek-r1-distill-32b

HuggingFace

huggingface-cli download deepseek-r1-distill-32b

Upgrade options

MacBook Pro M4 Max 96GBBudget pick

C17.6 tok/s decode

~$2,499 MSRP

RTX A6000 48GBBest value

C29.9 tok/s decode

~$4,650 MSRP

RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell 48GBBiggest leap

C57.8 tok/s decode