Cheapest box to run Llama-3.3-70B at Q3_K_M
Meta’s Llama-3.3-70B is 70B parameters, dense. 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.
Llama-3.3-70B at Q3_K_M needs 38GB.
Cheapest Config that fits: Mac mini, M5 Pro, 48GB. Fits, 6GB headroom. Est. 5.8 tok/s.
Best offer today: $2,499 at Apple — in stock, checked 43 minutes ago.
Price history: 46 days recorded.
Offers — Mac mini, M5 Pro, 48GB, 512GB
- Applelist pricein stockchecked 43 minutes ago$2,499
- Mac mini, M6, 16GB$1,099Won't fit−25GB headroom
- Mac mini, M6, 24GB$1,299Won't fit−17GB headroom
- Mac mini, M6, 32GB$1,499Won't fit−9GB headroom
- Mac mini, M5 Pro, 24GB$1,699Won't fit−17GB headroom
- Mac mini, M5 Pro, 48GB$2,499Fits6GB headroomest. 5.8 tok/s
- Mac Studio, M5 Max, 36GB$2,499Won't fit−5GB headroom
- Mac mini, M5 Pro, 64GB$2,899Fits21GB headroomest. 5.8 tok/s
- GeForce RTX 5090, 32GB$2,999.99+hostWon't fit−7GB headroom
- Fits21GB headroomest. 10.4 tok/s
- Mac Studio, M5 Max, 48GB$3,099Fits6GB headroomest. 11.7 tok/s
- Mac Studio, M5 Max, 64GB$3,499Fits21GB headroomest. 11.7 tok/s
- Fits82GB headroomest. 5.2 tok/s
- Fits50GB headroomest. 15.6 tok/s
- Fits82GB headroomest. 10.4 tok/s
- Fits82GB headroomest. 5.2 tok/s
- Fits82GB headroomest. 11.7 tok/s
- Fits50GB headroomest. 22.8 tok/s
- Fits210GB headroomest. 15.6 tok/s
- Fits210GB headroomest. 22.8 tok/s
- Fits466GB headroomest. 22.8 tok/s
| Config | Memory | Price | Fit | Headroom | Est. speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac mini, M6 | 16GB | $1,099 | Won't fit | −25GB | — |
| Mac mini, M6 | 24GB | $1,299 | Won't fit | −17GB | — |
| Mac mini, M6 | 32GB | $1,499 | Won't fit | −9GB | — |
| Mac mini, M5 Pro | 24GB | $1,699 | Won't fit | −17GB | — |
| Mac mini, M5 Pro | 48GB | $2,499 | Fits | 6GB | 5.8 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M5 Max | 36GB | $2,499 | Won't fit | −5GB | — |
| Mac mini, M5 Pro | 64GB | $2,899 | Fits | 21GB | 5.8 tok/s |
| GeForce RTX 5090 | 32GB | $2,999.99+host | Won't fit | −7GB | — |
| Mac Studio, M4 Max, refurb | 64GB | $3,049 | Fits | 21GB | 10.4 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M5 Max | 48GB | $3,099 | Fits | 6GB | 11.7 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M5 Max | 64GB | $3,499 | Fits | 21GB | 11.7 tok/s |
| Ascent GX10, GB10 Grace Blackwell | 128GB | $3,999.99 | Fits | 82GB | 5.2 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M3 Ultra, refurb | 96GB | $4,329 | Fits | 50GB | 15.6 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M4 Max, refurb | 128GB | $4,409 | Fits | 82GB | 10.4 tok/s |
| DGX Spark, GB10 Grace Blackwell | 128GB | $4,699 | Fits | 82GB | 5.2 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M5 Max | 128GB | $5,099 | Fits | 82GB | 11.7 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M5 Ultra | 96GB | $5,499 | Fits | 50GB | 22.8 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M3 Ultra, refurb | 256GB | $7,729 | Fits | 210GB | 15.6 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M5 Ultra | 256GB | $9,499 | Fits | 210GB | 22.8 tok/s |
| Mac Studio, M5 Ultra | 512GB | — | Fits | 466GB | 22.8 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 = 70B × 0.489 B/param (3.91 bits) + 0.328 GB/1K × 8K K/V + 1.2 GB runtime
speed = bandwidth × 0.65 ÷ (70B active × 0.489 B/param) = 34.2 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 M5 Pro 48GB runs
- Qwen3-Coder-NextQ3_K_M, est. 105 tok/s
- Llama-3.3-70BQ3_K_M, est. 5.8 tok/s
- Qwen3.5-35B-A3BQ8_0, est. 48.2 tok/s
- Qwen3-32BQ8_0, est. 5.9 tok/s
- Gemma-4-31BQ8_0, est. 6.1 tok/s
- Qwen3-30B-A3BQ8_0, est. 43.8 tok/s
Best quant that still fits at 8K context, largest model first. Full list on the Config page.
Bandwidth 307GB/s, usable memory 44GB of 48GB.