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MetaCode LlamaLlamaForCausalLM

CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF — Hardware Requirements & GPU Compatibility

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CodeLlama-34b-Instruct-hf is Meta's 34-billion-parameter instruction-tuned Code Llama model, fine-tuned from the base Code Llama checkpoint for safer, more reliable code-assistant use, as opposed to the plain base and Python-specialized variants in the same family (which also ships in 7B, 13B, and 70B sizes). It is an early, first-generation code model built on the original Llama 2 architecture and predates the later Code Llama 70B release. At 34B parameters, it needs a multi-GPU setup or aggressive quantization for local use. Context length is 16,384 tokens. It is released under the Llama 2 Community License, a custom license that restricts commercial use above 700 million monthly active users, requiring a separate license from Meta, and was published in August 2023.

33.7B params · dense16K contextLlama 2 Community11.8K downloads305 likes5.0K quant downloads
C

Usable on a 24 GB GPU

Runs from16 GB IQ2_M · 16KBest on24 GB Q4_K_M · ~31 tok/s · 16KMacs from18 GB IQ2_S · ~9 tok/s

Llama 2 Community

Reference GPU · RTX 4090 24 GB

Estimates, ±20% · how we estimate

Run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF

One recommended way. Every other method, OS and quant is in the step-by-step guide.Each way opens a step-by-step guide for your OS and quant.

Recommended

Ollama
one command · needs Ollama installed
$ollama run codellama:34b-instruct-q4_K_M

Q4_K_M fits fully on the RTX 4090 · 0.2 GB free · 16K context

Download: CodeLlama-34b-Instruct-hf.i1-Q4_K_M.gguf20.22 GBmradermacher

install, OS, other quants

Ways to runOther ways

each opens step-by-step

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How Much VRAM Does CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF Need?

Select a quantization level; the listed hardware adheres to it.

QuantizationVRAM+32KOn RTX 4090 (reference)
15.0 GB—2-bit · K-quant — 2-bit quantization with K-quant improvementsFits: 16K context · ~44 tok/s
15.5 GB—3-bit small — 3-bit small quantizationFits: 16K context · ~42 tok/s
17.1 GB—3-bit medium — 3-bit medium quantizationFits: 16K context · ~38 tok/s
17.6 GB—4-bit · legacy — 4-bit legacy quantizationFits: 16K context · ~37 tok/s
20.9 GB—4-bit medium — 4-bit medium quantization — most popular sweet spotFits: 16K context · ~31 tok/s
24.8 GB—5-bit medium — 5-bit medium quantization — good quality/size tradeoffDoes not fit: needs 27.6 GB
28.5 GB—6-bit, very good — 6-bit quantization, very good qualityDoes not fit: needs 31.4 GB
34.5 GB—8-bit, near-lossless — 8-bit quantization, near-losslessDoes not fit: needs 37.3 GB
est.calculated, no published file yet

Selected Q4_K_M

4-bit medium quantization

23.8GBat 16K context

Weights
20.3 GB
KV cache
3.2 GB
Overhead
0.3 GB

Fits RTX 4090 (reference) · 0.2 GB free · ~31 tok/s

≥50 tok/s needs ≥1.61 TB/s · RTX 5090 ~56

Which Hardware Can Run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

Q4_K_M · 20.9 GB

CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF (Q4_K_M) requires 20.9 GB of VRAM to load the model weights. For comfortable inference with headroom for KV cache and system overhead, 28+ GB is recommended. Using the full 16K context window can add up to 2.8 GB, bringing total usage to 23.8 GB. 7 GPUs can run it, including NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti. 100 devices with unified memory can run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF, including Mac Studio (M3 Ultra, 256GB), Mac Studio (M3 Ultra, 512GB), Mac Studio M1 Max (32 GB).

By VRAM tier · typical GPUs and Macs at Q4_K_M
8–12 GB · RTX 4060, RTX 3060 12GBDoesn't fit — smallest quant needs 12.8 GB8 GB tier →12 GB tier →
16 GB · RTX 5060 Ti 16GBIQ2_M · 14.9 GB · ~24 tok/s · 16K16 GB tier →
24 GB · RTX 4090referenceQ4_K_M · 23.8 GB · ~31 tok/s · 16K24 GB tier →
Mac 32 GB · Mac Mini M4Q4_K_M · 23.8 GB · ~4 tok/s · 16KMacs →
Mac 64 GB · Mac Studio M4 MaxQ4_K_M · 23.8 GB · ~18 tok/s · 16KMacs →

How good is CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

llmrun Score blends public benchmark boards into one number; 100 = the average open model.

Not enough data yet for an llmrun Score.

A Score needs results on enough independent boards. How the Composite Score is built

Benchmarks

This is the single board showing results for this model; badges show who ran the test.

  • LMArena Text

    LMArena · Oct 2026Arena

    1136.9

    #175/188 open

    Arena

Alternatives to CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF

Code Llama family · 4 models →

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Llm Jp 4.1 33B Thinkingllm-jp—22.5 GB~35same size
Agnes 3.0 FlashAgnes-AI—22.1 GB~35same size

Specifications

Publisher
Meta
Parameters
33.7B
Architecture
LlamaForCausalLM
Context Length
16,384 tokens
Vocabulary Size
32,000
Release Date
2023-08-24
License
Llama 2 Community

Frequently Asked Questions

How much VRAM does CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF need?

CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF requires 20.9 GB of VRAM at Q4_K_M, or 68.2 GB at BF16. Full 16K context adds up to 2.8 GB (23.8 GB total).

VRAM = Weights + KV Cache + Overhead

Weights = 33.7B × 4.8 bits ÷ 8 = 20.2 GB

KV Cache + Overhead ≈ 0.8 GB (at 2K context + ~0.3 GB framework)

Fit ratings and hardware model lists check this model with room for a 16K-token context, which needs a little more memory.

KV Cache + Overhead ≈ 3.6 GB (at full 16K context)

VRAM usage by quantization

20.9 GB
23.8 GB

Learn more about VRAM estimation →

Can NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

Yes, at Q5_K_S (23.9 GB) or lower. Higher quantizations like Q5_K_M (24.8 GB) exceed the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090's 24 GB.

What's the best quantization for CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

For CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF, Q4_K_M (20.9 GB) offers the best balance of quality and VRAM usage. Q5_K_S (23.9 GB) provides better quality if you have the VRAM. The smallest option is IQ2_XXS at 10.0 GB.

VRAM requirement by quantization

IQ2_XXS
10.0 GB
IQ3_XS
14.6 GB
Q3_K_M
17.1 GB
Q4_K_M ★
20.9 GB
Q5_K_S
23.9 GB
BF16
68.2 GB

★ Recommended — best balance of quality and VRAM usage.

Learn more about quantization →

Can I run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF on a Mac?

Yes — MacBook Pro 14" M3 Pro (18 GB) and 108 other Macs can run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF, the smallest at IQ2_S. Apple Silicon uses unified memory, so the model shares RAM with the system. At Q4_K_M you need at least 20.9 GB of usable unified memory (RAM minus macOS overhead), from Mac Studio M1 Max (32 GB).

Can I run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF locally?

Yes — CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF can run locally on consumer hardware. Popular tools include Ollama, LM Studio, and llama.cpp.

How fast is CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

At Q4_K_M, CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF can reach ~229 tok/s on AMD Instinct MI350X. On NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090: ~31 tok/s. Speed depends mainly on GPU memory bandwidth. Real-world results typically within ±20%.

tok/s = (bandwidth GB/s ÷ model GB) × efficiency

Example: NVIDIA B200 → 8000 ÷ 20.95 × 0.65 = ~248 tok/s

Estimated speed at Q4_K_M (20.9 GB)

~248 tok/s
~31 tok/s
~248 tok/s
~229 tok/s

Real-world results typically within ±20%. Speed depends on batch size, quantization kernel, and software stack.

Learn more about tok/s estimation →

What's the download size of CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

At Q4_K_M, the download is about 20.25 GB. The full-precision BF16 version is 67.49 GB. The smallest option (IQ2_XXS) is 9.28 GB.

Which GPUs can run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

7 consumer GPUs can run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF at Q4_K_M. Top options include NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. 1 GPU has plenty of headroom for comfortable inference.

Which devices can run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF?

100 devices with unified memory can run CodeLlama 34B Instruct HF at Q4_K_M (20.9 GB), including AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (Strix Point) Laptop, ASUS Ascent GX10, Beelink GTR9 Pro (Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128 GB), Framework Desktop (Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128 GB). Apple Silicon Macs use unified memory shared between CPU and GPU, making them well-suited for local LLM inference.