Yes — Qwen 4 4B (4B) runs at 135 tok/s on M5 Max with 128 GB RAM using Q4_K_M quantization via MLX. First token latency is 0.2s. A capable open-source LLM with 4B parameters.
Want to run Qwen 4 4B faster — or step up to bigger models? Find your Mac →The LLMCheck index estimates Qwen 4 4B on M5 Max 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 | 135 tok/s |
| Time to first token | 0.2s |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| Minimum RAM | 128 GB |
| Recommended engine | MLX |
| Parameters | 4B |
| Benchmark date | 2026-06 |
Q4_K_M 4B MLX M5 Max
The recommended engine for Qwen 4 4B on M5 Max is MLX. Install with pip and pull the model:
Alternatively, you can use Ollama for a simpler setup:
| Chip | Speed | First Token | Min RAM | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M4 Pro | 108 tok/s | 0.3s | 24 GB | Ollama |
| M3 | 85 tok/s | 0.3s | 16 GB | MLX |
| M2 | 62 tok/s | 0.4s | 8 GB | Ollama |
| M1 | 45 tok/s | 0.6s | 8 GB | Ollama |
To run Qwen 4 4B on M5 Max you need:
Qwen 4 4B needs about 128 GB of unified memory. These current Apple Silicon Macs have the headroom to run it comfortably:
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See how Qwen 4 4B stacks up against other models on your specific Mac hardware.
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