Can I Run Falcon 3 3B Instruct on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026
Yes. Falcon 3 3B Instruct needs 3.5 GB at 8K context (2 GB weights + 1.5 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) has 10 GB, leaving about 6.5 GB of headroom, at roughly 140 tok/s (estimated) with room for up to 32K of context.
See what else this hardware can run →
The numbers
| Model | Falcon 3 3B Instruct |
| Parameters | 3B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 3.5 GB |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) VRAM | 10 GB |
| Verdict | Runs |
| Max context | 32K |
| Estimated speed | ~140 tok/s |
Falcon 3 3B Instruct on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB): VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 10 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 8 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q8_0 | 5 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q6_K | 4.2 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q5_K_M | 3.8 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q4_K_M | 3.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q3_K_M | 2.9 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q2_K | 2.6 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
Assumes an 8K-token context with an f16 KV cache. A longer window needs more; a quantized KV cache needs less. “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 10 GB. Figures are estimates from parameter count, quantization and memory bandwidth — the analyzer lets you tune KV-cache quant and context.
Context costs VRAM too. At Q4_K_M on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB): 8K 3.5 GB · 32K 5.7 GB. Every window this model publishes still fits 10 GB.
What to do next
Nothing to change — run it at Q4_K_M. If you want more capability, check whether the next size up also fits.
No compatible GPU? Falcon 3 on 8 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Running Falcon 3 3B Instruct on this card:
At 2 hrs/day, buying (~$699) beats renting at $0.34/hr after about 2.9 years.
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Cloud rates verified 2026-07 — estimates, and marketplace prices vary. Buying price is GPU MSRP only, not a full PC.
Other Falcon 3 sizes on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)
- Falcon 3 10B Instruct — runs (8.4 GB)
- Falcon 3 7B Instruct — runs (6.2 GB)
Falcon 3 3B Instruct on nearby hardware
- AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB (8 GB) — runs
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (12 GB) — runs
All Falcon 3 sizes on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) | Falcon 3 3B Instruct model page | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware