audio model · whisper · macOS
Can I run Whisper large-v3 on Apple M3 Pro (18GB)?
Yes. Whisper large-v3 runs on Apple M3 Pro (18GB) at int8 (~2.5 GB of ~12 GB usable).
Runs at int8 using ~2.5 GB of ~12 GB usable.
- Peak memory
- ~2.5 GB
- Usable on device
- ~12 GB
- Device memory
- 18 GB
- Quant
- int8
How to run it
Use whisper.cpp or faster-whisper at int8. It is light enough to run on CPU; a GPU just makes it faster.
- Type
- Speech to text
- Parameters
- 1.55B
- Peak memory
- ~2.5 GB at int8
- License
- MIT
- Memory
- 18 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~12 GB
- Best runtime
- Ollama (llama.cpp Metal backend) / MLX
You could also run
Run Whisper large-v3 on other hardware
FAQ
Can Apple M3 Pro (18GB) run Whisper large-v3?
Yes. Whisper large-v3 runs on Apple M3 Pro (18GB) at int8 (~2.5 GB of ~12 GB usable).
How much memory does Whisper large-v3 need?
Apple M3 Pro (18GB) has room to spare. At int8 the realistic peak is ~2.5 GB of memory.
What do I use to run Whisper large-v3 locally?
Whisper large-v3 runs in whisper.cpp or faster-whisper (among others). It runs on CPU, so no GPU is required.
Sources
VRAM figures are sourced peak-usage anchors at the noted quant, validated 2026-06-15. See methodology.