Can I Run Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE) on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026
No. Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE) needs 20 GB at 8K context (18.4 GB weights + 1.6 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) has only 10 GB. No quantization we publish closes a gap that size.
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The numbers
| Model | Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE) |
| Parameters | 30B (3B active) |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 20 GB |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) VRAM | 10 GB |
| Verdict | Does not fit |
Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE) on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB): VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 10 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 62.6 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 34 GB | ✗ No | — | Build for this |
| Q6_K | 26.6 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q5_K_M | 23.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q4_K_M | 20 GB | ✗ No | — | Build for this |
| Q3_K_M | 14.6 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q2_K | 11.6 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
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 20 GB ✗ · 32K 22.4 GB ✗ · 125K 31.8 GB ✗. Past 8K it no longer fits 10 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
What to do next
Either step down to a smaller size in this family, or move to a AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB), the card with the least memory we track that holds it.
No compatible GPU? Qwen 3 on 8 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs.
Cheapest card we track with enough VRAM for Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE):
Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE) needs ~20 GB but this GPU has 10 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:
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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 3 sizes on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)
- Qwen 3 235B-A22B (MoE) — does not fit (144.3 GB)
- Qwen 3 32B — does not fit (22.8 GB)
- Qwen 3 14B — runs at a lower quant (11.1 GB)
- Qwen 3 8B — runs (7 GB)
Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE) on nearby hardware
- AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB (8 GB) — does not fit
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (12 GB) — runs at a lower quant
All Qwen 3 sizes on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) | Qwen 3 30B-A3B (MoE) model page | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware