Can I Run Yi 1.5 Family on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026
Yes, comfortably — Yi 1.5 9B Chat at Q4_K_M needs 6.9 GB at 8K context (5.3 GB weights + 1.6 GB KV cache/overhead), leaving ~5.1 GB of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)'s 12 GB, at ~36 tok/s (est.), with room for up to 16K context.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) Specs
| VRAM | 12 GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s |
Yi 1.5 9B Chat on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB): VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 12 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 19.3 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 11 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q6_K | 8.8 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q5_K_M | 7.9 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q4_K_M | 6.9 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q3_K_M | 5.4 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q2_K | 4.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
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 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 6.9 GB · 31K 9.3 GB. Every window this model publishes still fits 12 GB.
No compatible GPU? Yi 1.5 9B Chat on 8 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs.
Yi 1.5 Family Sizes That Fit the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) (at 8K context)
| Yi 1.5 9B Chat | Q4_K_M · 6.9 GB at 8K context · ~36 tok/s (est.) |
At 2 hrs/day, buying (~$329) beats renting at $0.34/hr after about 16 months.
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FAQ
Does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) have enough VRAM for Yi 1.5 Family?
Yes, comfortably — Yi 1.5 9B Chat at Q4_K_M needs 6.9 GB at 8K context (5.3 GB weights + 1.6 GB KV cache/overhead), leaving ~5.1 GB of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)'s 12 GB, at ~36 tok/s (est.), with room for up to 16K context.
Which quantization of Yi 1.5 Family should I use on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)?
Yi 1.5 9B Chat at Q4_K_M quantization needs 6.9 GB at 8K context (5.3 GB weights + 1.6 GB KV cache/overhead), estimated ~36 tokens/sec, up to 16K context.
Every Yi 1.5 Family size on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)
| Size | VRAM at 8K | Verdict | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yi 1.5 34B Chat | 23.6 GB | Does not fit | — |
| Yi 1.5 9B Chat | 6.9 GB | Runs | ~36 tok/s |
Yi 1.5 Family on Other GPUs
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- Yi 1.5 Family on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
- Yi 1.5 Family on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super
- Yi 1.5 Family on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- Yi 1.5 Family on Intel Arc B580
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VRAM Tier
Troubleshooting
Buying Guide
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