Yes — Gemma 4 12B (12B) runs at 19 tok/s on M6 with 32 GB RAM using QAT quantization via LM Studio. A capable open-source LLM with 12B parameters.
Want to run Gemma 4 12B faster — or step up to bigger models? Find your Mac →The LLMCheck index estimates Gemma 4 12B on M6 using our published methodology: Q4_K_M quantization, memory-bandwidth scaling, and cross-referenced third-party benchmarks where available. Figures are transparent estimates — own this config? Submit a real benchmark →
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Tokens per second | 19 tok/s |
| Time to first token | — |
| Quantization | QAT |
| Minimum RAM | 32 GB |
| Recommended engine | LM Studio |
| Parameters | 12B |
| Benchmark date | 2026-10 |
QAT 12B LM Studio M6
The recommended engine for Gemma 4 12B on M6 is LM Studio. Install Ollama, then pull the model:
Ollama handles quantization automatically — it will download the QAT variant (~32 GB) and start an interactive chat session.
| Chip | Speed | First Token | Min RAM | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 Max | 64 tok/s | — | 64 GB | MLX |
| M4 Max | 57 tok/s | — | 64 GB | MLX |
| M4 Pro | 30 tok/s | — | 24 GB | MLX |
| M4 | 13 tok/s | — | 16 GB | MLX |
To run Gemma 4 12B on M6 you need:
Gemma 4 12B needs about 32 GB of unified memory. These current Apple Silicon Macs have the headroom to run it comfortably:
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See how Gemma 4 12B stacks up against other models on your specific Mac hardware.
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