Can mxbai Embed Large run on MacBook Pro M4 Max 64GB?
YES — Runs Great
mxbai Embed Large needs ~10.3 GB VRAM. MacBook Pro M4 Max 64GB has 46.1 GB. With F16 quantization, expect ~5 tok/s.
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.
Select quantization to explore
Fit status
Runs well
Decode
4.7 tok/s
TTFT
41279 ms
Safe context
512
Memory
10.3 GB / 46.1 GB
Memory breakdown
See how fast it feels
What limits this setup
The model fits in shared memory, but shared-memory bandwidth is now the real limiter.
Fit does not mean dedicated-VRAM speed
Unified or shared memory can make a model technically fit, but sustained tokens per second may still trail a discrete high-bandwidth GPU with less total memory.
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
Prioritize bandwidth, not only capacity
If this workload feels slow, the next useful step is often a GPU tier with materially faster memory bandwidth rather than only a small bump in capacity.
Performance by workload
| Workload | Grade | Fit | Decode | TTFT | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chat | A | Runs well | 4.7 tok/s | 22516 ms | 512 |
| Coding | A | Runs well | 4.7 tok/s | 41279 ms | 512 |
| Agentic Coding | A | Runs well | 4.7 tok/s | 60043 ms | 512 |
| Reasoning | A | Runs well | 4.7 tok/s | 48785 ms | 512 |
| RAG | A | Runs well | 4.7 tok/s | 75053 ms | 512 |
Quantization options
How mxbai Embed Large (0.33500000834465027B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Pro M4 Max 64GB (46.1 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 0.1 GB | Low | A75 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 0.2 GB | Low | A75 |
NVFP4 | 4 | 0.2 GB | Medium | A75 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 0.2 GB | Medium | A75 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 0.2 GB | High | A75 |
Q6_K | 6 | 0.3 GB | High | A75 |
Q8_0 | 8 | 0.4 GB | Very High | A75 |
F16Best for your GPU | 16 | 0.7 GB | Maximum | A75 |
Get started
Copy-paste commands to run mxbai Embed Large on your machine.
Run
ollama run mxbai-embed-largeYour hardware
