How much VRAM does Yi 1.5 34B need?

Yi 1.5 34B (34B parameters) requires approximately 34.2 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Yi 1.5 34B?

The recommended quantization for Yi 1.5 34B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

Can it run?

Yes, Mac mini M4 64GB can run Yi 1.5 34B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 3.8 tok/s.

CUsable

Runs well

Using Q4_K_M in Ollama

Capabilities:

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

3.8 tok/s

TTFT

51478 ms

Safe context

Memory

34.2 GB / 46.1 GB

Weights20.7 GB

KV Cache5.3 GB

Runtime1.2 GB

Headroom6.9 GB

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Agentic Coding	C	Tight fit	4.2 tok/s	67597 ms	4K
Chat	C	Runs well	4.2 tok/s	25349 ms	4K
Coding	C	Runs well	3.8 tok/s	51478 ms	4K
RAG	C	Tight fit	4.2 tok/s	84496 ms	4K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	4.2 tok/s	54923 ms	4K

How Yi 1.5 34B (34B params) fits at each quantization level on Mac mini M4 64GB (46.1 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	13.3 GB	Low	D35
Q3_K_S	3	16.7 GB	Low	D37
NVFP4	4

Ollama

ollama run yi-1.5-34b

HuggingFace

huggingface-cli download yi-1.5-34b

Upgrade options

MacBook Pro M4 Max 96GBBudget pick

C16.6 tok/s decode

~$2,499 MSRP

RTX A6000 48GBBest value

C28.1 tok/s decode

~$4,650 MSRP

RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell 48GBBiggest leap

C54.4 tok/s decode