# Can I run Gemma 3 1B on Apple M2 (16GB)?

Updated: 2026-06-15

**Yes, it runs.** Runs at Q4_K_M using ~1.8 GB of ~10.5 GB usable. You have room for FP16 for higher quality.

- Model: 1B, Q4_K_M 0.81 GB
- Device: 16 GB unified, ~10.5 GB usable for weights
- Needs ~1.8 GB at Q4_K_M; recommended quant: Q4_K_M
- Best tool on macOS: LM Studio
- Command: `ollama run gemma3:1b`

Estimate. Method: weights + KV cache + ~0.8GB overhead. Sources: https://ollama.com/library/gemma3:1b, https://huggingface.co/bartowski/google_gemma-3-1b-it-GGUF, https://developers.googleblog.com/en/introducing-gemma3/, https://llm-stats.com/models/gemma-3-1b-it.

More: https://localmodel.run/can-i-run/gemma-3-1b/apple-m2-16gb