Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 vs Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic
Side-by-side comparison of VRAM requirements, quantization, context length, and hardware compatibility.
Specifications
| Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 | Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic | |
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | 12.0B | 12.2B |
| Context | 131K | 131K |
| Architecture | Gemma4UnifiedForConditionalGeneration | Gemma3ForConditionalGeneration |
| License | Gemma Terms | Gemma Terms |
| Downloads | 711 | 16.0K |
| Released | Jun 2026 | Mar 2026 |
VRAM by Quantization: Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 vs Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic
| Quantization | Bits | Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 VRAM | Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2_K | 3.40 | — | 6.2 GB |
| Q3_K_M | 3.90 | 6.9 GB | 7 GB |
| Q3_K_S | 3.50 | — | 6.4 GB |
| Q4_0 | 4.00 | — | 7.2 GB |
| Q4_K_M | 4.80 | 8.2 GB | 8.4 GB |
| Q5_K_M | 5.70 | 9.6 GB | 9.7 GB |
| Q6_K | 6.60 | 10.9 GB | 11.1 GB |
| Q8_0 | 8.00 | 13.0 GB | 13.2 GB |
Verdict
Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 needs less VRAM at Q4_K_M (8.2 GB vs 8.4 GB), so it fits on smaller GPUs. Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic is the more widely downloaded of the two.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which needs less VRAM, Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 or Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic?
At Q4_K_M, Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 needs 8.2 GB and Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic needs 8.4 GB, so Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 is the lighter option to run locally.
- Which has a longer context window, Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 or Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic?
Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 supports 131,072 tokens and Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic supports 131,072 tokens.
- What is the difference between Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 and Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic?
Gemma 4 12B IT AEON Abliterated K4 BF16 is a 12.0B model from AEON-7 (Gemma family), while Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic is a 12.2B model from DreamFast (Gemma family). Compare their VRAM requirements above to see which fits your GPU or Mac.