How much memory does Gemma-4-26B-A4B at Q5_K_M need?

19GB. That is 18GB of weights at 5.67 bits per weight, 0.3GB of K/V cache at 8K context, and 1.2GB of runtime overhead.

Which machine is cheapest for Gemma-4-26B-A4B at Q5_K_M?

Mac mini, M6, 32GB, $1,499 at Apple. It fits with 10GB of headroom and decodes at an est. 31.6 tok/s.

Cheapest box to run Gemma-4-26B-A4B at Q5_K_M

Google’s Gemma-4-26B-A4B is 25.2B parameters, 3.8B of them read per token. The number below is computed from that and each vendor’s published specs, not asserted. Switch the quant or the context and it recomputes in place.

Fit finderprices checked 32 minutes ago

Quant

Context

Gemma-4-26B-A4B at Q5_K_M needs 19GB.

Cheapest Config that fits: Mac mini, M6, 32GB. Fits, 10GB headroom. Est. 31.6 tok/s.

Best offer today: $1,499 at Apple — in stock, checked 32 minutes ago.

Price history: 34 days recorded.

The 26B in the name is marketing; Google's own table reads 25.2B total and 3.8B active, and that is what we publish. Only the 5 global-attention layers cache unboundedly; the rest slide a 1024-token window.

Offers — Mac mini, M6, 32GB, 512GB

ExpercomSold out.out of stockchecked 28 days ago$1,499
Applelist pricein stockchecked 32 minutes ago$1,499
B&H PhotoPreorder, ships about 22 Sep.out of stockchecked 33 days ago$1,599

Mac mini, M6, 16GB$1,099
Won't fit−6GB headroom
Mac mini, M6, 24GB$1,299
Tight2GB headroomest. 31.6 tok/s
Mac mini, M6, 32GB$1,499
Fits10GB headroomest. 31.6 tok/s
Mac mini, M5 Pro, 24GB$1,699
Tight2GB headroomest. 57.0 tok/s
Mac mini, M5 Pro, 48GB$2,499
Fits25GB headroomest. 57.0 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max, 36GB$2,499
Fits14GB headroomest. 85.4 tok/s
Mac mini, M5 Pro, 64GB$2,899
Fits39GB headroomest. 57.0 tok/s
GeForce RTX 5090, 32GB$2,999.99+host
Fits11GB headroomest. 333 tok/s
Mac Studio, M4 Max, 64GB, refurbished$3,049
Fits39GB headroomest. 101 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max, 48GB$3,099
Fits25GB headroomest. 114 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max, 64GB$3,499
Fits39GB headroomest. 114 tok/s
Ascent GX10, GB10 Grace Blackwell, 128GB$3,999.99
Fits101GB headroomest. 50.7 tok/s
Mac Studio, M3 Ultra, 96GB, refurbished$4,329
Fits69GB headroomest. 152 tok/s
Mac Studio, M4 Max, 128GB, refurbished$4,409
Fits101GB headroomest. 101 tok/s
DGX Spark, GB10 Grace Blackwell, 128GB$4,699
Fits101GB headroomest. 50.7 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max, 128GB$5,099
Fits101GB headroomest. 114 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Ultra, 96GB$5,499
Fits69GB headroomest. 223 tok/s
Mac Studio, M3 Ultra, 256GB, refurbished$7,729
Fits229GB headroomest. 152 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Ultra, 256GB$9,499
Fits229GB headroomest. 223 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Ultra, 512GB—
Fits485GB headroomest. 223 tok/s

Config	Memory	Price	$/GB	Fit	Headroom	Est. speed
Mac mini, M6	16GB	$1,099	$69	Won't fit	−6GB	—
Mac mini, M6	24GB	$1,299	$54	Tight	2GB	31.6 tok/s
Mac mini, M6	32GB	$1,499	$47	Fits	10GB	31.6 tok/s
Mac mini, M5 Pro	24GB	$1,699	$71	Tight	2GB	57.0 tok/s
Mac mini, M5 Pro	48GB	$2,499	$52	Fits	25GB	57.0 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max	36GB	$2,499	$69	Fits	14GB	85.4 tok/s
Mac mini, M5 Pro	64GB	$2,899	$45	Fits	39GB	57.0 tok/s
GeForce RTX 5090	32GB	$2,999.99+host	$94	Fits	11GB	333 tok/s
Mac Studio, M4 Max, refurb	64GB	$3,049	$48	Fits	39GB	101 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max	48GB	$3,099	$65	Fits	25GB	114 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max	64GB	$3,499	$55	Fits	39GB	114 tok/s
Ascent GX10, GB10 Grace Blackwell	128GB	$3,999.99	$31	Fits	101GB	50.7 tok/s
Mac Studio, M3 Ultra, refurb	96GB	$4,329	$45	Fits	69GB	152 tok/s
Mac Studio, M4 Max, refurb	128GB	$4,409	$34	Fits	101GB	101 tok/s
DGX Spark, GB10 Grace Blackwell	128GB	$4,699	$37	Fits	101GB	50.7 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Max	128GB	$5,099	$40	Fits	101GB	114 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Ultra	96GB	$5,499	$57	Fits	69GB	223 tok/s
Mac Studio, M3 Ultra, refurb	256GB	$7,729	$30	Fits	229GB	152 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Ultra	256GB	$9,499	$37	Fits	229GB	223 tok/s
Mac Studio, M5 Ultra	512GB	—	—	Fits	485GB	223 tok/s

GeForce RTX 5090 is a card, not a computer: every price shown for it is the cheapest listing we found plus $1,000 for the minimum host machine.

memory = 25.2B × 0.709 B/param (5.67 bits) + 0.042 GB/1K × 8K K/V + 1.2 GB runtime
speed = bandwidth × 0.5 ÷ (3.8B active × 0.709 B/param) = 2.7 GB read per token
usable = memory − operating system reserve (8% on a Mac, 6% on a DGX Spark, 4% on a card)

Bandwidth is the vendor’s published figure. Every speed is an estimate and says so. Methodology.

What else Mac mini M6 32GB runs

Qwen3.5-35B-A3BQ5_K_M, est. 40.0 tok/s
Qwen3-32BQ5_K_M, est. 4.9 tok/s
Gemma-4-31BQ6_K, est. 4.4 tok/s
Qwen3-30B-A3BQ6_K, est. 31.4 tok/s
Gemma-3-27BQ6_K, est. 5.0 tok/s
Qwen3.6-27BQ6_K, est. 5.0 tok/s

Best quant that still fits at 8K context, largest model first. Full list on the Config page.

Bandwidth 170GB/s, usable memory 29GB of 32GB.