Question 1

Can MacBook Pro M1 Max 32GB run Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Accepted Answer

Yes, MacBook Pro M1 Max 32GB can run Llama 3.2 3B Instruct with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 122.8 tok/s.

Question 2

How much VRAM does Llama 3.2 3B Instruct need?

Accepted Answer

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct (3B parameters) requires approximately 7.6 GB of memory with Q5_K_M quantization.

Question 3

What is the best quantization for Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Accepted Answer

The recommended quantization for Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is Q5_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	103.9 tok/s	2711 ms	95K
Chat	C	Runs well	103.9 tok/s	1016 ms	24K
Coding	C	Runs well	122.8 tok/s	1577 ms	48K
RAG	C	Runs well	103.9 tok/s	3388 ms	95K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	103.9 tok/s	2202 ms	48K

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	1.2 GB	Low	D31
Q3_K_S	3	1.5 GB	Low	D31
NVFP4	4

Can MacBook Pro M1 Max 32GB run Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Memory breakdown