What can MacBook Pro 16" M4 Max run for reasoning?
Build: MacBook Pro M4 Max 64GB
Runs comfortably91 models
Ranked by fit for reasoning use case + predicted speed. Click a row for VRAM breakdown.
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 9.7 GBHeadroom: 46.3 GB108tok/sEstimated
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 9.7 GBHeadroom: 46.3 GBollama run RefinedNeuro/RN_TR_R1:latest108tok/sEstimated
ollama run RefinedNeuro/RN_TR_R1:latestQuant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 9.4 GBHeadroom: 46.6 GB108tok/sEstimated
Quant: Q8_0Context: 8,192VRAM: 12.5 GBHeadroom: 43.5 GBollama run deepseek-r1:7b70tok/sEstimated
ollama run deepseek-r1:7bQuant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 16.3 GBHeadroom: 39.7 GBollama run phi4-reasoning:14b62tok/sEstimated
ollama run phi4-reasoning:14bQuant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 16.3 GBHeadroom: 39.7 GBollama run deepseek-r1:14b62tok/sEstimated
ollama run deepseek-r1:14bQuant: Q4_K_MContext: 4,096VRAM: 6.9 GBHeadroom: 49.1 GB124tok/sEstimated
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 8.6 GBHeadroom: 47.4 GB124tok/sEstimated
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 34.0 GBHeadroom: 22.0 GB28tok/sEstimated
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 36.5 GBHeadroom: 19.5 GBollama run qwq:32b27tok/sEstimated
ollama run qwq:32bQuant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 9.7 GBHeadroom: 46.3 GBollama run RefinedNeuro/RN_TR_R2:latest108tok/sEstimated
ollama run RefinedNeuro/RN_TR_R2:latestQuant: Q8_0Context: 8,192VRAM: 23.3 GBHeadroom: 32.7 GBollama run phi4:14b35tok/sEstimated
ollama run phi4:14bRuns with tradeoffs10 models
Tight VRAM, partial CPU offload, or context-limited.
Quant: Q8_0Context: 8,192VRAM: 52.2 GBHeadroom: 3.8 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.8 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run deepseek-r1:32b15tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.8 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run deepseek-r1:32bQuant: Q4_K_MContext: 2,048VRAM: 52.6 GBHeadroom: 3.4 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.4 GB headroom left for context growth
12tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.4 GB headroom left for context growth
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 2,048VRAM: 53.4 GBHeadroom: 2.6 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 2.6 GB headroom left for context growth
12tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 2.6 GB headroom left for context growth
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 2,048VRAM: 52.6 GBHeadroom: 3.4 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.4 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run qwen2.5:72b12tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.4 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run qwen2.5:72bQuant: Q4_K_MContext: 2,048VRAM: 52.6 GBHeadroom: 3.4 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.4 GB headroom left for context growth
12tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.4 GB headroom left for context growth
Quant: Q4_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 53.4 GBHeadroom: 2.6 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 2.6 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run mixtral:8x7b18tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 2.6 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run mixtral:8x7bQuant: Q5_K_MContext: 8,192VRAM: 52.5 GBHeadroom: 3.5 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.5 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run llama3.3:70b11tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.5 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run llama3.3:70bQuant: Q8_0Context: 8,192VRAM: 52.2 GBHeadroom: 3.8 GB- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.8 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run qwen3:32b15tok/sEstimated
- • Tight VRAM fit — only 3.8 GB headroom left for context growth
ollama run qwen3:32bWhat if you upgraded?
Hypothetical scenarios. We re-ran the compatibility engine for each.
Move up an Apple memory tier
Varies by configuration. Check Apple's current pricing
On Apple Silicon, more unified memory is the only path forward — VRAM and system RAM are the same pool.
Won't runtop 5 popular models
Need more memory than you have. Shown for orientation.
Needs ~1024 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
—
Needs ~1024 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
Needs ~160 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
—
Needs ~160 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
Needs ~420 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
—
Needs ~420 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
Needs ~80 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
—
Needs ~80 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
Needs ~192 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
—
Needs ~192 GB unified memory minimum at smallest quant; you have 56 GB available after OS overhead.
Not enough VRAM for these models? Rent a GPU by the hour
The models above need more memory than 64 GB unified memory. You can rent a GPU with enough VRAM by the hour to run one of them, or to test it before you buy hardware. For daily use, owning a card usually costs less over time.
RunPod
billed per GPU-hourHourly GPU pods, in community-cloud and secure-cloud tiers.
The two tiers run on different hosts and terms. Check which tier a pod is on before a long job.
Rent on RunPodVast.ai
billed per GPU-hourMarketplace of host-listed GPUs; price and reliability vary by host.
Host quality varies. Filter for verified hosts and check the host's reliability before a long run.
Rent on Vast.aiReferral links: RunLocalAI may earn a commission or account credits if you sign up and rent, at no extra cost to you. Hourly rates and which GPUs are listed change all the time, so check the provider's page before you start. Editorial opinions are independent of the referral relationship; see how we make money.
How to read these numbers
Want a specific benchmark we don't have? Email Contact support and we'll prioritize it.