Can I Run Ministral 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated September 6, 2026
Yes. Ministral 3 14B needs 10.6 GB at 8K context (8.5 GB weights + 2.1 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) has 12 GB, leaving about 1.4 GB of headroom, at roughly 23 tok/s (estimated) with room for up to 8K of context.
See what else this hardware can run →
The numbers
| Model | Ministral 3 14B |
| Parameters | 14B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 10.6 GB |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) VRAM | 12 GB |
| Verdict | Runs |
| Max context | 8K |
| Estimated speed | ~23 tok/s |
Ministral 3 14B on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB): VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 12 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 30.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 17.1 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q6_K | 13.7 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q5_K_M | 12.1 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q4_K_M | 10.6 GB | ✓ Yes | 8K | — |
| Q3_K_M | 8.1 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q2_K | 6.8 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
Assumes an 8K-token context with an f16 KV cache, on an estimated architecture — this model publishes no config we can read. A longer window needs more; a quantized KV cache needs less. “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 12 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 3060 (12GB): 8K 10.6 GB · 32K 14.8 GB ✗ · 128K 31.3 GB ✗. Past 32K it no longer fits 12 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
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? Ministral 3 14B on 16 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Running Ministral 3 14B on this card:
At 2 hrs/day, buying (~$329) beats renting at $0.34/hr after about 16 months.
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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 Ministral 3 sizes on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)
- Ministral 3 8B — runs (6.8 GB)
- Ministral 3 3B — runs (3.5 GB)
Ministral 3 14B on nearby hardware
- Intel Arc B570 (10 GB) — runs at a lower quant
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16 GB) — runs
All Ministral 3 sizes on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) | Ministral 3 14B model page | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware