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Can I run this LLM?

Can a MacBook Air / Mac mini M2 (8GB) run Qwen3.5 9B?

Qwen · Apache 2.0 · estimated for a 8.0 GB machine at 4K context.

Yes, but it's tight.

Tight / slow

Best fit: Qwen3.5 9B at Q2_K · 4.1 GB weights · 15–22 tok/s on a MacBook Air / Mac mini M2 (8GB).

Arena Text Overall · style-controlled

UnratedNo exact match

No reviewed exact Arena match

No reviewed exact model/configuration match in the Arena Text Overall style-controlled snapshot. No family or editorial score is substituted. Local quantization quality is unmeasured.

Snapshot published 2026-10-08 · snapshot imported 2026-10-11 UTC · validated last-good data · manual refresh

Arena leaderboard dataset · Arena / lmarena-ai, Arena Leaderboard Dataset (CC BY 4.0). Selected Text Overall style-controlled rows; field names adapted, ratings unchanged. · dataset CC BY 4.0 · revision e16f90232986

Total memory at 4K context
5.1 GB
Weights + KV cache + runtime overhead
Estimated generation
15–22 tok/s
Estimated first token
~30s

Every quantization on this machine

On small screens, each quant lists every metric below its name. On wider screens, scroll sideways for total memory, speed and fit. Keyboard: focus the table, then use the arrow keys. Quant names stay visible.

Qwen3.5 9B quantizations on MacBook Air / Mac mini M2 (8GB), estimated at 4K context. Weights and total memory are shown separately.
QuantWeightsTotal memorySpeedFit
Q2_K4.1 GB5.1 GB15–22 tok/sTight / slow
Q3_K_M4.7 GB5.6 GB— not residentWon't fit
Q4_K_M5.7 GB6.6 GB— not residentWon't fit
Q5_K_M6.6 GB7.5 GB— not residentWon't fit
Q6_K7.5 GB8.4 GB— not residentWon't fit
Q8_09.5 GB10.5 GB— not residentWon't fit
FP1617.9 GB18.9 GB— not residentWon't fit
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