Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic vs Gemma 3 270M
Side-by-side comparison of VRAM requirements, quantization, context length, and hardware compatibility.
Specifications
| Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic | Gemma 3 270M | |
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | 12.2B | 268M |
| Context | 131K | — |
| Architecture | Gemma3ForConditionalGeneration | — |
| License | Gemma Terms | Gemma Terms |
| Downloads | 16.0K | 7.6M |
| Released | Mar 2026 | Aug 2025 |
VRAM by Quantization: Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic vs Gemma 3 270M
| Quantization | Bits | Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic VRAM | Gemma 3 270M VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2_K | 3.40 | 6.2 GB | — |
| Q3_K_M | 3.90 | 7 GB | — |
| Q3_K_S | 3.50 | 6.4 GB | — |
| Q4_0 | 4.00 | 7.2 GB | — |
| Q4_K_M | 4.80 | 8.4 GB | — |
| Q5_K_M | 5.70 | 9.7 GB | — |
| Q6_K | 6.60 | 11.1 GB | — |
| Q8_0 | 8.00 | 13.2 GB | 0.3 GB |
Verdict
Gemma 3 270M needs less VRAM at Q8_0 (0.3 GB vs 13.2 GB), so it fits on smaller GPUs. Gemma 3 270M is the more widely downloaded of the two.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which needs less VRAM, Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic or Gemma 3 270M?
At Q8_0, Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic needs 13.2 GB and Gemma 3 270M needs 0.3 GB, so Gemma 3 270M is the lighter option to run locally.
- What is the difference between Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic and Gemma 3 270M?
Gemma 3 12B IT Heretic is a 12.2B model from DreamFast (Gemma family), while Gemma 3 270M is a 268M model from Google (Gemma family). Compare their VRAM requirements above to see which fits your GPU or Mac.