Best AI Models for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10.0GB)
10 GB is an entry-level tier for local AI. You can run small 7B models at lower quantization levels, which is great for experimenting but comes with quality and speed trade-offs.
With 10 GB, you're limited to smaller models and lower quantization levels, but it's still enough for a meaningful local AI experience. Phi 3 Mini (3.8B) and similar compact models run well at Q4_K_M. For 7B models like Mistral 7B and Llama 3 8B, you'll need Q2_K or Q3_K_M quantization, which reduces output quality. Think of this tier as ideal for learning and experimentation rather than production workloads.
Runs Well
- 3B–4B models at Q4–Q5 quality
- 7B models at Q2–Q3 (usable but reduced quality)
- Quick experiments and learning
Challenging
- 7B models at Q4+ (VRAM too tight)
- Any model above 7B parameters
- Long context windows even with small models
What LLMs Can NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Run?
19 models · 8 good
Showing compatibility for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
| Model | Quant | VRAM | Speed | Context | Status | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Q4_K_M·62.4 t/s tok/s·33K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 7.9 GB | 62.4 t/s | 33K | GOOD FIT | A84 |
Q4_K_M·81.0 t/s tok/s·8K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 6.1 GB | 81.0 t/s | 8K | GOOD FIT | A77 |
Q4_K_M·89.5 t/s tok/s·41K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 5.5 GB | 89.5 t/s | 41K | GOOD FIT | A70 |
Q4_K_M·93.6 t/s tok/s·131K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 5.3 GB | 93.6 t/s | 131K | GOOD FIT | A68 |
Q4_K_M·99.0 t/s tok/s·33K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 5.0 GB | 99.0 t/s | 33K | GOOD FIT | A65 |
Q4_K_M·92.0 t/s tok/s·131K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 5.4 GB | 92.0 t/s | 131K | GOOD FIT | A69 |
Q4_K_M·91.7 t/s tok/s·131K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 5.4 GB | 91.7 t/s | 131K | GOOD FIT | A69 |
Q4_K_M·100.4 t/s tok/s·33K ctx·FAIR FIT | Q4_K_M | 4.9 GB | 100.4 t/s | 33K | FAIR FIT | B64 |
Q4_K_M·99.0 t/s tok/s·131K ctx·GOOD FIT | Q4_K_M | 5.0 GB | 99.0 t/s | 131K | GOOD FIT | A65 |
Q8_0·100.7 t/s tok/s·4K ctx·FAIR FIT | Q8_0 | 4.9 GB | 100.7 t/s | 4K | FAIR FIT | B64 |
Q4_K_M·54.2 t/s tok/s·16K ctx·FAIR FIT | Q4_K_M | 9.1 GB | 54.2 t/s | 16K | FAIR FIT | B48 |
Q4_K_M·171.0 t/s tok/s·41K ctx·EASY RUN | Q4_K_M | 2.9 GB | 171.0 t/s | 41K | EASY RUN | C44 |
Q4_K_M·173.4 t/s tok/s·131K ctx·EASY RUN | Q4_K_M | 2.9 GB | 173.4 t/s | 131K | EASY RUN | C44 |
Q4_K_M·187.2 t/s tok/s·2K ctx·EASY RUN | Q4_K_M | 2.6 GB | 187.2 t/s | 2K | EASY RUN | C41 |
Q4_K_M·249.6 t/s tok/s·131K ctx·EASY RUN | Q4_K_M | 2.0 GB | 249.6 t/s | 131K | EASY RUN | C35 |
Q4_K_M·489.3 t/s tok/s·2K ctx·EASY RUN | Q4_K_M | 1.0 GB | 489.3 t/s | 2K | EASY RUN | C30 |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Specifications
- Brand
- NVIDIA
- Architecture
- Ampere
- VRAM
- 10.0 GB GDDR6X
- Memory Bandwidth
- 760.3 GB/s
- CUDA Cores
- 8,704
- Tensor Cores
- 272
- FP16 Performance
- 59.50 TFLOPS
- TDP
- 320W
- Release Date
- 2020-09-17
- MSRP
- $699
Get Started
GPUs to Consider Over NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
Similar GPUs and upgrades with more VRAM or higher bandwidth for AI
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
NVIDIA · Blackwell
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
NVIDIA · Ampere
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
NVIDIA · Blackwell
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
AMD · RDNA 3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
NVIDIA · Ada Lovelace
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
NVIDIA · Ada Lovelace
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 run Gemma 3 12B IT?
Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with 10 GB can run Gemma 3 12B IT, Gemma 2 9B IT, Qwen3 8B, and 744 other models. 18 models run at excellent quality, and 191 at good quality. Check the compatibility table above for the full list with VRAM usage and estimated speed.
- Is NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 good for AI?
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X, making it usable for running local AI models. It supports 209 models at good quality or better. With 760.3 GB/s memory bandwidth, it delivers solid token generation speeds. You can run smaller models and experiment with quantized 7B models.
- How many parameters can NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 handle?
With 10 GB, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 supports models from 1B to 7B parameters depending on quantization level. At Q4_K_M (the recommended sweet spot), you can fit roughly 16B parameters. Smaller 3B–7B models fit at Q3–Q4 quantization.
- What quantization should I use on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080?
For the best balance of quality and speed on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, start with Q4_K_M — it preserves ~85% of the original model quality while keeping VRAM usage reasonable. If a model barely fits, drop to Q3_K_M — quality loss is noticeable but still useful for chat. Avoid Q2_K unless you just want to test whether a model works at all.
- How fast is NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 for AI inference?
With 760.3 GB/s memory bandwidth, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 achieves approximately 110 tokens/sec on a 7B model at Q4_K_M — that's very fast, well above conversational speed. Token generation speed scales inversely with model size — smaller models are significantly faster.
tok/s = (760.3 GB/s ÷ model GB) × efficiency
Smaller models = faster inference. Memory bandwidth is the main bottleneck for token generation speed.
Estimated speed on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
~62 tok/s~81 tok/s~90 tok/s~94 tok/sReal-world results typically within ±20%. Speed depends on quantization kernel, batch size, and software stack.
- What's the best model for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080?
The top-rated models for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 are Gemma 3 12B IT, Gemma 2 9B IT, Qwen3 8B. The best choice depends on your use case: coding assistants benefit from code-tuned models, while general chat works well with instruction-tuned models like Llama or Qwen.