Can the Apple M4 Pro (48GB) run Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E?
- FP16
- Q8_0
- Q6_K
- Q5_K_M
- Q4_K_M
- Q3_K_M
- Q2_K
No. Even at Q4_K_M, Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E needs about 68.3 GB, but the Apple M4 Pro (48GB) has 36 GB usable. You could offload some layers to system RAM, but it will be very slow.
Run it on a rented GPU
On a cloud GPU with enough memory, the same command you'd use locally works:
ollama run llama4:scoutAt Q4_K_M it needs about 68.3 GB, so pick a GPU with at least 72 GB.
New to this? Step-by-step setup for the Apple M4 Pro (48GB)
Run it in the cloud
Too big for the Apple M4 Pro (48GB)? Run Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E on a rented GPU instead.
Rent a cloud GPU by the hour. No upfront cost, stop any time. Not sure whether to rent or buy? Compare the cost.
Memory needed by quantization
At 8,192 tokens of context. The black line marks the 36 GB the Apple M4 Pro (48GB) can use. macOS lets the GPU use about 36 GB of the 48 GB unified memory by default.
| Quant | Quality | Memory | Fits? | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 | Full quality | 220.2 GB | Too big | — | |
| Q8_0 | Near-lossless | 118 GB | Too big | — | |
| Q6_K | Excellent | 91.6 GB | Too big | — | |
| Q5_K_M | Very good | 79.7 GB | Too big | — | |
| Q4_K_M | Good, most popular | 68.3 GB | Too big | — | |
| Q3_K_M | Noticeably degraded | 55.5 GB | Too big | — | |
| Q2_K | Heavily degraded | 43.1 GB | Too big | — |
GPUs that run Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E comfortably
Models that run well on the Apple M4 Pro (48GB)
Frequently asked questions
Can Apple M4 Pro (48GB) run Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E?
No. Even at Q4_K_M, Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E needs about 68.3 GB, but the Apple M4 Pro (48GB) has 36 GB usable. You could offload some layers to system RAM, but it will be very slow.
How much VRAM does Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E need?
About 68.3 GB at Q4_K_M with 8,192 tokens of context, and about 220.2 GB at full FP16 precision.
How fast is Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E on the Apple M4 Pro (48GB)?
It does not fit in the Apple M4 Pro (48GB)'s memory, so most layers would run from system RAM and generation would be very slow.