MacBook Pro M4 Max 96GBBudget pick
C15.7 tok/s decode
~$2,499 MSRP
Can it run?
Runs well
Using Q4_K_M in Ollama
Fit status
Runs well
Decode
3.9 tok/s
TTFT
49207 ms
Safe context
21K
Memory
35.7 GB / 46.1 GB
| Workload | Grade | Fit | Decode | TTFT | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agentic Coding | C | Tight fit | 3.9 tok/s | 71573 ms | 36K |
| Chat | C | Runs well | 3.9 tok/s | 26840 ms | 11K |
| Coding | C | Runs well | 3.9 tok/s | 49207 ms | 21K |
| RAG | C | Tight fit | 3.9 tok/s | 89467 ms | 36K |
| Reasoning | C | Runs well | 3.9 tok/s | 58153 ms | 21K |
How Hermes 4.3 36B (36B params) fits at each quantization level on Mac mini M4 64GB (46.1 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 14.0 GB | Low | D35 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 17.6 GB | Low | D37 |
NVFP4 | 4 |
Upgrade options
~$2,499 MSRP
~$3,199 MSRP
20.2 GB |
| Medium |
| D38 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 22.0 GB | Medium | D39 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 25.9 GB | High | C41 |
Q6_KBest for your GPU | 6 | 29.5 GB | High | C43 |
Q8_0 | 8 | 38.5 GB | Very High | C44 |
F16 | 16 | 73.8 GB | Maximum | F0 |