The LLMCheck index estimates Granite 4.2 8B at ~84 tok/s on an M5 Max at Q4_K_M, a figure from its published bandwidth model, not a measured run. It needs about 8 GB of unified memory. It is IBM's 8.79B dense model, released under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Want to run Granite 4.2 8B 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~84 tok/s |
| Provenance | estimate · how estimates are made |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| Engine | Ollama |
| Figure dated | 2026-10 |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB |
| Parameters | 8.79B |
| 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 (8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| estimated84 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M4 Pro | estimated40 tok/s | Q4_K_M | Ollama | 273 GB/s |
| M6 | estimated26 tok/s | Q4_K_M | Ollama | 170 GB/s |
| M4 | estimated18 tok/s | Q4_K_M | Ollama | 120 GB/s |
| M1 | estimated10 tok/s | Q4_K_M | Ollama | 68 GB/s |
IBM's Apache 2.0 dense 8.8B reasoning model (Aug 2026) with 128K context and IBM's own GGUF and MLX builds. About 5.4 GB at Q4_K_M, so it runs on an 8 GB Mac (Ollama: granite4.2:8b).
Apache 2.0 licence · 8.79B · 128K context · LLMCheck capability 16/50 · see its leaderboard rank →
Granite 4.2 8B needs about 8 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 8B stacks up against other models on your specific Mac hardware.
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