Can I Run Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct on NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe)?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 21, 2026
Yes. Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct needs 47 GB at 8K context (43.5 GB weights + 3.5 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe) has 80 GB, leaving about 33 GB of headroom, at roughly 35 tok/s (estimated) with room for up to 64K of context.
See what else this hardware can run →
The numbers
| Model | Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct |
| Parameters | 72B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 47 GB |
| NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe) VRAM | 80 GB |
| Verdict | Runs |
| Max context | 64K |
| Estimated speed | ~35 tok/s |
Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct on the NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe): VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 80 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 147.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 80 GB | ✓ Yes | 8K | — |
| Q6_K | 62.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q5_K_M | 54.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
| Q4_K_M | 47 GB | ✓ Yes | 64K | — |
| Q3_K_M | 34.2 GB | ✓ Yes | 128K | — |
| Q2_K | 27.2 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 80 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 H100 80GB (PCIe): 8K 47 GB · 32K 55 GB · 128K 87.2 GB ✗. Past 128K it no longer fits 80 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? Qwen 2.5 Family on 8 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Running Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct on this card:
At 2 hrs/day, buying (~$25,000) beats renting at $0.77/hr after about 45.1 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 Qwen 2.5 Family sizes on the NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe)
- Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B — runs (22.3 GB)
- Qwen 2.5 14B Instruct — runs (10.9 GB)
- Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct — runs (5.9 GB)
Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct on nearby hardware
- Apple M5 Pro (64 GB) — runs
- Apple M2 Max (96 GB) — runs
All Qwen 2.5 Family sizes on the NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe) | Qwen 2.5 72B Instruct model page | NVIDIA H100 80GB (PCIe) GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware