text model · gemma · macOS
Can I run Gemma 3 4B on Apple M4 (24GB)?
Yes. Gemma 3 4B runs on Apple M4 (24GB) at Q4_K_M (~3.8 GB of ~16 GB usable).
Runs at Q4_K_M using ~3.8 GB of ~16 GB usable. You have room for FP16 for higher quality.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~3.8 GB
- Usable on device
- ~16 GB
- Device memory
- 24 GB
- Best quant
- Q4_K_M
Run it
Pick your tool. All three load the same Q4_K_M weights.
ollama run gemma3:4b llama-cli -hf bartowski/google_gemma-3-4b-it-GGUF:Q4_K_M lms get bartowski/google_gemma-3-4b-it-GGUF vLLM is NOT a Mac tool, it is a CUDA/Linux serving engine. Unified memory is not a fixed VRAM slice; ~70% is usable for weights.
- Parameters
- 4B
- Q4_K_M size
- 2.49 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 4.13 GB
- Context
- 128k
- Ollama tag
- gemma3:4b
- Memory
- 24 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~16 GB
- Best runtime
- Ollama (MLX backend, preview) / MLX direct
You could also run
Run Gemma 3 4B on other hardware
FAQ
Can Apple M4 (24GB) run Gemma 3 4B?
Yes. Gemma 3 4B runs on Apple M4 (24GB) at Q4_K_M (~3.8 GB of ~16 GB usable).
How much memory does Gemma 3 4B need?
Apple M4 (24GB) has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~2.49 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~3.8 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Gemma 3 4B on macOS?
LM Studio for a simple setup; mlx-lm for the most speed. vLLM is NOT a Mac tool, it is a CUDA/Linux serving engine. Unified memory is not a fixed VRAM slice; ~70% is usable for weights.
Sources
Memory figures are estimates. See methodology.