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text model · mistral · macOS

Can I run Mistral Nemo 12B on Apple M4 Max (128GB)?

Compatibility verdict VRAM threshold engine
Yes, it runsGPU accelerated

Yes. Mistral Nemo 12B runs on Apple M4 Max (128GB) at Q4_K_M (~8.6 GB of ~96 GB usable).

Needs ~8.6 GB Device usable ~96 GB

Runs at Q4_K_M using ~8.6 GB of ~96 GB usable. You have room for FP16 for higher quality.

Q4_K_M needed
~8.6 GB
Usable on device
~96 GB
Device memory
128 GB
Best quant
Q4_K_M

Run it

Install commands macOS

Pick your tool. All three load the same Q4_K_M weights.

Ollama
$ ollama run mistral-nemo:12b
llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf bartowski/Mistral-Nemo-Instruct-2407-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get bartowski/Mistral-Nemo-Instruct-2407-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.

Model mistral
Parameters
12.2B
Q4_K_M size
6.96 GB
Q8_0 size
12.13 GB
Context
128k
Ollama tag
mistral-nemo:12b
Full Mistral Nemo 12B requirements →
Device macOS
Memory
128 GB unified
Usable for weights
~96 GB
Best runtime
MLX direct / Ollama (MLX backend)
Best models for Apple M4 Max (128GB) →

You could also run

Run Mistral Nemo 12B on other hardware

FAQ

Can Apple M4 Max (128GB) run Mistral Nemo 12B?

Yes. Mistral Nemo 12B runs on Apple M4 Max (128GB) at Q4_K_M (~8.6 GB of ~96 GB usable).

How much memory does Mistral Nemo 12B need?

Apple M4 Max (128GB) has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~6.96 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~8.6 GB at a 4k context.

What is the best tool to run Mistral Nemo 12B 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.