Can You Run Gemma 4 on an RTX 3060 (12GB VRAM)?
Yes — best fit is Gemma 4 12B at Q4_0 (4-bit) (~6.7GB) ✅ Comfortable, using 11GB of usable memory on a 12GB RTX 3060.
Every Gemma 4 model on this configuration
| Model | Best quant | Size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemma 4 E2B | BF16 (16-bit) | ~8 GB | ✅ Comfortable |
| Gemma 4 E4B | SFP8 (8-bit) | ~7.5 GB | ✅ Comfortable |
| Gemma 4 12B | Q4_0 (4-bit) | ~6.7 GB | ✅ Comfortable |
| Gemma 4 26B A4B | — | — | ❌ Won't fit |
| Gemma 4 31B | — | — | ❌ Won't fit |
How we got this verdict
12 - 1 = 11GB usable VRAM (the driver and OS reserve roughly 1 GB).
12B lands on Q4_0 here, so grab the official QAT (quantization-aware training) checkpoint instead of a generic Q4_0 quant. Google shipped a full-quality QAT build for 12B at essentially the same ~7.2GB download size, with noticeably better output quality than a naive 4-bit quant. See the QAT guide for exact file names.
Switching to the RTX 3080 Ti (12GB VRAM) doesn't change the top recommendation — 12B is still the best fit, just with more headroom.
The fastest lever on a fixed budget isn't more VRAM on the same card — it's switching cards. Compare this tier against neighboring cards below, or check the full checker for any GPU model.
Real-world notes for this configuration
The RTX 3060 is the outlier of its entire generation: its 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM is more than the 3060 Ti, 3070, 3070 Ti, and even the 10GB launch RTX 3080 — all nominally faster, pricier cards. NVIDIA built it on the GA106 die with a wider memory configuration than its immediate siblings, prioritizing capacity over raw throughput at this specific tier.
- ⚠If buying used, confirm you're getting the 12GB 3060 and not a mislabeled or confused listing for the 8GB 3060 Ti — the names are one word apart but the VRAM difference is significant for local AI.
- ⚠Its 192-bit memory bus is narrower than the 3060 Ti/3070's 256-bit bus, so despite the capacity advantage, memory bandwidth is lower — a real trade-off for longer-context workloads.
Try a different configuration
Best fit: Gemma 4 12B · Q4_0 (4-bit) · ~6.7 GB ✅ Comfortable
FAQ
Can a RTX 3060 (12GB VRAM) run the 31B flagship model?
No — the 31B model needs at least 17.4GB usable memory even at Q4_0, and this configuration only has 11GB usable. Gemma 4 12B is the largest model that fits here.
What's the best Gemma 4 model for a RTX 3060 (12GB VRAM)?
Gemma 4 12B at Q4_0 (4-bit) (~6.7GB) is the best fit — it's the largest model that runs comfortably within the 11GB of usable memory here.
What if I have more or less memory than 12GB VRAM?
With more (e.g. RTX 3080 Ti), you can run larger models or the same model more comfortably — see the RTX 3080 Ti page. With less (e.g. RTX 3080), the best-fitting model gets smaller or tighter — see the RTX 3080 page.
Why does the cheaper RTX 3060 have more VRAM than the pricier RTX 3070?
NVIDIA gave the 3060 12GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, while the 3070 has only 8GB on a 256-bit bus — the 3070 is faster per token, but the 3060's larger capacity lets it hold bigger models that a faster, smaller-VRAM card can't fit at all.
Is the 3060's lower memory bandwidth a problem for Gemma 4?
It mainly affects how fast tokens generate once a model is loaded, not whether it fits — for capacity-bound decisions (what's the biggest model I can run), the 3060's 12GB is still the more generous card in its generation.
Related
Gemma 4 on RTX 3060
The full setup guide for this device family.
Can You Run Gemma 4 on an RTX 3080 (10GB VRAM)?
NVIDIA GPU — 10GB VRAM
Can You Run Gemma 4 on an RTX 3080 Ti (12GB VRAM)?
NVIDIA GPU — 12GB VRAM
Gemma 4 Hardware Requirements
The full memory table this checker is built on.
Full Hardware Checker
Every device type, every model, one tool.