Yes — Ministral 8B (8B) runs at 55 tok/s on M3 with 16 GB RAM using Q4_K_M quantization via LM Studio. First token latency is 0.7s. Mistral's 8B model optimized for edge inference with strong instruction following.
Want to run Ministral 8B faster — or step up to bigger models? Find your Mac →The LLMCheck index estimates Ministral 8B on M3 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 | 55 tok/s |
| Time to first token | 0.7s |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| Minimum RAM | 16 GB |
| Recommended engine | LM Studio |
| Parameters | 8B |
| Benchmark date | 2026-01 |
Q4_K_M 8B LM Studio M3
The recommended engine for Ministral 8B on M3 is LM Studio. Install Ollama, then pull the model:
Ollama handles quantization automatically — it will download the Q4_K_M variant (~16 GB) and start an interactive chat session.
| Chip | Speed | First Token | Min RAM | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 Max | 98 tok/s | 0.4s | 64 GB | Ollama |
| M4 | 72 tok/s | 0.5s | 16 GB | MLX |
To run Ministral 8B on M3 you need:
Ministral 8B needs about 16 GB of unified memory. These current Apple Silicon Macs have the headroom to run it comfortably:
As an Amazon Associate, LLMCheck earns from qualifying purchases. These affiliate links cost you nothing extra and help keep our benchmarks free.
See how Ministral 8B stacks up against other models on your specific Mac hardware.
Open Compare Tool Full Leaderboard