Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 vs Gemma 3 27B IT
Side-by-side comparison of VRAM requirements, quantization, context length, and hardware compatibility.
Specifications
| Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 | Gemma 3 27B IT | |
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | 12.2B | 27.4B |
| Context | 131K | 131K |
| Architecture | Gemma3ForConditionalGeneration | — |
| License | Gemma Terms | Gemma Terms |
| Downloads | 8.6K | 1.5M |
| Released | Mar 2026 | — |
VRAM by Quantization: Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 vs Gemma 3 27B IT
| Quantization | Bits | Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 VRAM | Gemma 3 27B IT VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| BF16 | 16.00 | 25.4 GB | 60.4 GB |
Verdict
Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 needs less VRAM at BF16 (25.4 GB vs 60.4 GB), so it fits on smaller GPUs. Gemma 3 27B IT is the more widely downloaded of the two.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which needs less VRAM, Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 or Gemma 3 27B IT?
At BF16, Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 needs 25.4 GB and Gemma 3 27B IT needs 60.4 GB, so Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 is the lighter option to run locally.
- Which has a longer context window, Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 or Gemma 3 27B IT?
Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 supports 131,072 tokens and Gemma 3 27B IT supports 131,072 tokens.
- What is the difference between Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 and Gemma 3 27B IT?
Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 is a 12.2B model from DreamFast (Gemma family), while Gemma 3 27B IT is a 27.4B model from Google (Gemma family). Compare their VRAM requirements above to see which fits your GPU or Mac.