Can I Run Gemma 3 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated September 29, 2026
Yes, comfortably — Gemma 3 12B Instruct at Q4_K_M needs 9.1 GB at 8K context (7.2 GB weights + 1.9 GB KV cache/overhead), leaving ~6.9 GB of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080's 16 GB, at ~83 tok/s (est.), with room for up to 64K context.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Specs
| VRAM | 16 GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 960 GB/s |
Gemma 3 12B Instruct on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 16 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 25.8 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 14.6 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | Build for this |
| Q6_K | 11.7 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
| Q5_K_M | 10.3 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | Build for this |
| Q4_K_M | 9.1 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | Build for this |
| Q3_K_M | 7 GB | ✓ Yes | 128K | — |
| Q2_K | 5.8 GB | ✓ Yes | 128K | — |
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 16 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 5080: 8K 9.1 GB · 32K 10.7 GB · 128K 17.1 GB ✗. Past 128K it no longer fits 16 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
No compatible GPU? Gemma 3 12B Instruct on 16 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Gemma 3 Sizes That Fit the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (at 8K context)
| Gemma 3 12B Instruct | Q4_K_M · 9.1 GB at 8K context · ~83 tok/s (est.) |
| Gemma 3 4B Instruct | Q4_K_M · 3.6 GB at 8K context · ~181 tok/s (est.) |
| Gemma 3 1B Instruct | Q4_K_M · 1.5 GB at 8K context · ~330 tok/s (est.) |
At 2 hrs/day, buying (~$999) beats renting at $0.34/hr after about 4.1 years.
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FAQ
Will Gemma 3 run on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080?
Yes, comfortably — Gemma 3 12B Instruct at Q4_K_M needs 9.1 GB at 8K context (7.2 GB weights + 1.9 GB KV cache/overhead), leaving ~6.9 GB of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080's 16 GB, at ~83 tok/s (est.), with room for up to 64K context.
Which Gemma 3 variant fits best on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080?
Gemma 3 12B Instruct at Q4_K_M quantization needs 9.1 GB at 8K context (7.2 GB weights + 1.9 GB KV cache/overhead), estimated ~83 tokens/sec, up to 64K context.
Every Gemma 3 size on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
| Size | VRAM at 8K | Verdict | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemma 3 27B Instruct | 18.4 GB | Runs at Q3_K_M | — |
| Gemma 3 12B Instruct | 9.1 GB | Runs | ~83 tok/s |
| Gemma 3 4B Instruct | 3.6 GB | Runs | ~181 tok/s |
| Gemma 3 1B Instruct | 1.5 GB | Runs | ~330 tok/s |
Gemma 3 on Other GPUs
- Gemma 3 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
- Gemma 3 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
- Gemma 3 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super
- Gemma 3 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
- Gemma 3 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super
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