The LLMCheck index estimates Granite 4.2 30B at ~28 tok/s on an M5 Max at Q4_K_M, a figure from its published bandwidth model, not a measured run. It needs about 20 GB of unified memory. It is IBM's 29.28B dense model, released under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Want to run Granite 4.2 30B faster — or step up to bigger models? Find your Mac →This is an LLMCheck index estimate from its published two-term bandwidth model, not a measured run; the index labels it so everywhere it appears. Own this Mac? Submit a real run →
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Tokens per second | estimated~28 tok/s |
| Provenance | estimate · how estimates are made |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| Engine | Ollama |
| Figure dated | 2026-10 |
| Minimum RAM | 20 GB |
| Parameters | 29.28B |
| Chip bandwidth | 614 GB/s |
Each row as the index holds it, with its source. “Mac RAM” is the memory of the Mac a run used, not the model’s requirement (20 GB). The headline figure follows the reference rule: the lower-median measured plain-decode run at 5 bits or fewer (a run whose quant was not stated counts only when no stated-quant run qualifies), else the estimate; a run marked “not used to anchor estimates” is listed here but never becomes the headline.
| Speed | Quant | Engine | Mac RAM | Context | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| estimated28 tok/s | Q4_K_M | Ollama | 64 GB | — | LLMCheck estimator | — |
Ollama — install it (brew install ollama or the app from ollama.com), then pull the model by its tag, checked on ollama.com on 2026-10-17:
MLX — pick a build from Hugging Face’s MLX listings, then run it with its repo id:
Downloads: Ollama page → · model card →
Prefer a GUI? LM Studio downloads GGUF and MLX builds in one click. Step by step: install Ollama on a Mac.
| Chip | Speed | Quant | Engine | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 Ultra | estimated53 tok/s | Q4_K_M | MLX | 1228 GB/s |
| M4 Max | estimated25 tok/s | Q4_K_M | MLX | 546 GB/s |
| M5 Pro | estimated14 tok/s | Q4_K_M | Ollama | 307 GB/s |
| M4 Pro | estimated13 tok/s | Q4_K_M | Ollama | 273 GB/s |
| M6 | estimated8 tok/s | Q4_K_M | MLX | 170 GB/s |
IBM's Apache 2.0 dense 29B reasoning model (Aug 2026) with full, non-thinking and low-effort modes and 128K context; SWE-bench Verified 57.0 on IBM's harness. IBM ships its own GGUF and MLX builds, and Q4_K_M is ~18 GB, so it fits a 24 GB Mac (Ollama: granite4.2:30b).
Apache 2.0 licence · 29.28B · 128K context · LLMCheck capability 31/50 · see its leaderboard rank →
Granite 4.2 30B needs about 20 GB of unified memory. These current Apple Silicon Macs have the headroom to run it comfortably:
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See how Granite 4.2 30B stacks up against other models on your specific Mac hardware.
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