gemma3-4b vs llama3.1-8b on Apple M2 Pro

Compare gemma3-4b and llama3.1-8b running locally on Apple M2 Pro (16GB unified) — tokens/sec, VRAM fit, and quality scores for local inference.

Quick answer: gemma3-4b is faster on Apple M2 Pro in this dataset (75 vs 48 tok/s decode).

Compare a different combination

gemma3-4b Faster
75
tok/s (decode)
Quant Q4_K_M
VRAM required 3GB
Fits on Apple M2 Pro
Quality score 44 / 100
Eval sources
Data Community benchmark
llama3.1-8b
48
tok/s (decode)
Quant Q4_K_M
VRAM required 5GB
Fits on Apple M2 Pro
Quality score 48 / 100
Eval sources
Data Community benchmark
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GPU comparison FAQ

Which is faster on Apple M2 Pro: gemma3-4b or llama3.1-8b?

gemma3-4b is faster on Apple M2 Pro in this dataset (75 vs 48 tok/s decode).

Do both models fit on Apple M2 Pro?

gemma3-4b: ✓. llama3.1-8b: ✓. The fit labels use Q4_K_M VRAM estimates and the benchmark data available for this GPU.

How much VRAM do these models need?

gemma3-4b needs about 3GB in Q4_K_M; llama3.1-8b needs about 5GB in Q4_K_M.

Why can speed differ by GPU?

Local LLM speed depends on GPU memory bandwidth, backend, quantization, context length, and whether the model fits entirely in VRAM or unified memory.

How can I correct this comparison?

Use the GitHub correction link on this page with your GPU, model, quantization, context length, and measured decode tokens per second.

Last updated: 2026-06-16 Suggest a correction → GitHub