Can granite 8b code instruct 4k run on MacBook Pro M3 Pro 18GB?

YES — Runs Great

C52Usable

○Estimated from fit model

granite 8b code instruct 4k needs ~8.7 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M3 Pro 18GB has 13.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~22 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: RoomyBandwidth: Very lowStack: StandardBottleneck: Memory bandwidth

Operating mode

Choose the run profile you care about

Interactive favors responsiveness, while light API and scale-out lean harder on serving readiness. The fit stays the same, but the recommendation lens changes.

Current mode

Balanced

Balanced for general local use. Keeps the ranking neutral across personal and serving workflows.

Capabilities:

Select quantization to explore

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 8.7 GB, 22.4 tok/s, Runs well

8.7 GB required13.0 GB available

67% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

22.4 tok/s

TTFT

8628 ms

Safe context

89K

Memory

8.7 GB / 13.0 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights4.9 GB

KV Cache0.9 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom1.9 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsgranite 8b code instruct 4k on MacBook Pro M3 Pro 18GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Write a Python function to sort a list
Here's a Python function that sorts a list using quicksort:

def quicksort(arr):
 if len(arr) <= 1:
 return arr
 pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
 left = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
 middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
 right = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
 return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

# Example usage
numbers = [3, 6, 8, 10, 1, 2, 1]
print(quicksort(numbers)) # [1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10]

The algorithm picks a pivot, partitions the list into smaller, equal, and larger elements, then recursively sorts each partition and concatenates the results.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>Now add type hints and a docstring
def quicksort(arr: list[int]) -> list[int]:
 """Sort a list using the quicksort algorithm.

 Args:
 arr: List of integers to sort.

 Returns:
 A new sorted list.
 """
 if len(arr) <= 1:
 return arr
 pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
 left = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
 middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
 right = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
 return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

Added type hints for the input and return type, plus a Google-style docstring.
Estimated: 22.4 tok/s decode · 8.6s TTFT (warm) · 56 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

This setup is broadly balanced for this model.

Shared-memory contention still exists

The OS, browser, and inference runtime all compete for the same physical memory pool, so real-world headroom is less forgiving than raw capacity suggests.

Best improvement path

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	C	Runs well	22.4 tok/s	4706 ms	89K
Coding	C	Runs well	22.4 tok/s	8628 ms	89K
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	22.4 tok/s	12550 ms	89K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	22.4 tok/s	10197 ms	89K
RAG	C	Runs well	22.4 tok/s	15687 ms	89K

Quantization options

How granite 8b code instruct 4k (8B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M3 Pro 18GB (13.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	3.1 GB	Low	C49
Q3_K_S	3	3.9 GB	Low	C50
NVFP4	4	4.5 GB	Medium	C50
Q4_K_M	4	4.9 GB	Medium	C51
Q5_K_M	5	5.8 GB	High	C52
Q6_K	6	6.6 GB	High	C52
Q8_0Best for your GPU	8	8.6 GB	Very High	C51
F16	16	16.4 GB	Maximum	F0