456 GB/s (+388)
B
Raises estimated decode speed by about 75%.42 tok/s decode
Raises estimated decode speed by about 75%.
~$249 MSRP
Can SmolLM3 3B run on MacBook Air M1 16GB?
YES — Runs Great
B57Good
○Estimated from fit model
SmolLM3 3B needs ~6.4 GB VRAM. MacBook Air M1 16GB has 11.5 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~24 tok/s.
Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: RoomyBandwidth: Very lowStack: StandardBottleneck: Memory bandwidth
Share:
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
Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 6.4 GB, 24.0 tok/s, Runs well
6.4 GB required11.5 GB available
56% VRAM used
Fit status
Runs well
Decode
24.0 tok/s
TTFT
8078 ms
Safe context
58K
Memory
6.4 GB / 11.5 GB
Memory breakdown
Weights1.8 GB
KV Cache2.0 GB
Runtime0.9 GB
Headroom1.7 GB
See how fast it feels
See how fast it feelsSmolLM3 3B on MacBook Air M1 16GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Solve: If a train travels at 60 mph for 2.5 hours, how far does it go?
Let me work through this step by step.
Given information:
- Speed = 60 mph (miles per hour)
- Time = 2.5 hours
Formula: Distance = Speed x Time
Calculation:
Distance = 60 mph x 2.5 h
= 150 miles
The train travels 150 miles.
Double-check: at 60 mph the train covers 60 miles each hour. In half an hour it covers 30 miles. So in 2.5 hours: 60 + 60 + 30 = 150 miles. Confirmed.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>What if the train stops for 20 minutes halfway?
The stop doesn't change the total distance covered while moving, but it affects total trip time.
Breakdown:
- First half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles
- Stop: 20 minutes (no distance)
- Second half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles
Total distance: 150 miles (same)
Total time: 2.5 h + 0.33 h = 2.83 hours
Average speed: 150 / 2.83 = 53 mph
The distance stays the same but average speed drops to 53 mph because of the stop.
Estimated: 24.0 tok/s decode · 8.1s TTFT (warm) · 60 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 | B | Runs well | 24.0 tok/s | 4406 ms | 58K |
| Coding | B | Runs well | 24.0 tok/s | 8078 ms | 58K |
| Agentic Coding | B | Runs well | 24.0 tok/s | 11749 ms | 58K |
| Reasoning | B | Runs well | 24.0 tok/s | 9546 ms | 58K |
| RAG | B | Runs well | 24.0 tok/s | 14687 ms | 58K |
Quantization options
How SmolLM3 3B (3B params) fits at each quantization level on MacBook Air M1 16GB (11.5 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 1.2 GB | Low | B55 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 1.5 GB | Low | B56 |
NVFP4 | 4 | 1.7 GB | Medium | B56 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 1.8 GB | Medium | B56 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 2.2 GB | High | B56 |
Q6_K | 6 | 2.5 GB | High | B57 |
Q8_0 | 8 | 3.2 GB | Very High | B58 |
F16Best for your GPU | 16 | 6.1 GB | Maximum | B60 |
Get started
Copy-paste commands to run SmolLM3 3B on your machine.
Run
lms load SmolLM3-3B && lms server startUpgrade options