Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 vs Recurrentgemma 9B
Side-by-side comparison of VRAM requirements, quantization, context length, and hardware compatibility.
Specifications
| Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 | Recurrentgemma 9B | |
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | 12.2B | 9.6B |
| Context | 131K | — |
| Architecture | Gemma3ForConditionalGeneration | — |
| License | Gemma Terms | Gemma Terms |
| Downloads | 8.6K | 95 |
| Released | Mar 2026 | Aug 2024 |
VRAM by Quantization: Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 vs Recurrentgemma 9B
| Quantization | Bits | Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 VRAM | Recurrentgemma 9B VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| BF16 | 16.00 | 25.4 GB | 21.2 GB |
Verdict
Recurrentgemma 9B needs less VRAM at BF16 (21.2 GB vs 25.4 GB), so it fits on smaller GPUs. Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 is the more widely downloaded of the two.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which needs less VRAM, Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 or Recurrentgemma 9B?
At BF16, Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 needs 25.4 GB and Recurrentgemma 9B needs 21.2 GB, so Recurrentgemma 9B is the lighter option to run locally.
- What is the difference between Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 and Recurrentgemma 9B?
Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic v2 is a 12.2B model from DreamFast (Gemma family), while Recurrentgemma 9B is a 9.6B model from Google (Gemma family). Compare their VRAM requirements above to see which fits your GPU or Mac.