Meta Llama 3 8B — Hardware Requirements & GPU Compatibility
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Meta Llama 3 8B is a 8.0B-parameter open language model from Nous Research in the Llama 3 family. It supports a context window of up to 8,192 tokens. At Q4_K_M it needs about 5.39 GB of VRAM — see which GPUs and Macs can run it below.
Runs great on a 24 GB GPU
Runs from 8 GB (Q4_K_M · 8K)Best on 24 GB (Q4_K_M · ~122 tok/s · 8K)Macs from 32 GB (~16 tok/s)
Other
Reference GPU · RTX 4090 24 GB
Estimates, ±20% · how we estimate
Run Meta Llama 3 8B
One recommended way. Every other method, OS and quant is in the step-by-step guide.
Recommended
ollama run hf.co/mradermacher/Meta-Llama-3-8B-i1-GGUF:Q4_K_MQ4_K_M fits fully on the RTX 4090 · 17.8 GB free · 8K context
Download: Meta-Llama-3-8B.i1-Q4_K_M.gguf4.92 GBmradermacher
Other ways
each opens step-by-stepRun in cloud
Fits on RTX 3060 12GB (5 GB headroom) · Q4_K_M
- Generation speed
- ~43 tok/s
- generation speed
- Cost per 1M output tokens
- $0.49
- per 1M output tokens
How Much VRAM Does Meta Llama 3 8B Need?
Select a quantization level; the listed hardware adheres to it.
| Quantization | VRAM | +32K | On RTX 4090 (reference) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 GB | — | 2-bit · K-quant — 2-bit quantization with K-quant improvements | Fits: 8K context · ~165 tok/s | |
| 4.1 GB | — | 3-bit small — 3-bit small quantization | Fits: 8K context · ~161 tok/s | |
| 4.5 GB | — | 3-bit medium — 3-bit medium quantization | Fits: 8K context · ~146 tok/s | |
| 4.6 GB | — | 4-bit · legacy — 4-bit legacy quantization | Fits: 8K context · ~143 tok/s | |
| 5.4 GB | — | 4-bit medium — 4-bit medium quantization — most popular sweet spot | Fits: 8K context · ~122 tok/s | |
| 6.3 GB | — | 5-bit medium — 5-bit medium quantization — good quality/size tradeoff | Fits: 8K context · ~104 tok/s | |
| 7.2 GB | — | 6-bit, very good — 6-bit quantization, very good quality | Fits: 8K context · ~91 tok/s | |
| 8.6 GB | — | 8-bit, near-lossless — 8-bit quantization, near-lossless | Fits: 8K context · ~76 tok/s |
Selected Q4_K_M
4-bit medium quantization6.2GBat 8K context
- Weights
- 4.8 GB
- KV cache
- 1.1 GB
- Overhead
- 0.3 GB
Fits RTX 4090 (reference) · 17.8 GB free · ~122 tok/s
≥50 tok/s needs ≥414 GB/s · RTX 5090 ~216, RTX 3090 Ti ~122
Which Hardware Can Run Meta Llama 3 8B?
Q4_K_M · 5.4 GBMeta Llama 3 8B (Q4_K_M) requires 5.4 GB of VRAM to load the model weights. For comfortable inference with headroom for KV cache and system overhead, 8+ GB is recommended. Using the full 8K context window can add up to 0.8 GB, bringing total usage to 6.2 GB. 52 GPUs can run it, including NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. 159 devices with unified memory can run Meta Llama 3 8B, including NVIDIA DGX H100, NVIDIA DGX A100 640GB, NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 8GB (Super).
≤ 11 GB
≤ 11 GB tier →fits · 1.8 GB free · up to 8K ctx
16 GPUs · 1 device family
RTX 3080~92Simulate output on RTX 3080RTX 2080 Ti~74Simulate output on RTX 2080 TiRTX 3070 Ti~73Simulate output on RTX 3070 TiOrin Nano~12Simulate output on NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 8GB (Super)20 GB
fits · 13.8 GB free · up to 8K ctx
1 GPU
RX 7900 XT~89Simulate output on RX 7900 XT32–40 GB
fits · 25.8 GB free · up to 8K ctx
1 GPU · 3 Mac classes · 4 device families
RTX 5090~216Simulate output on RTX 5090M5 Max36 GB~60Simulate output on Mac Studio M5 Max (36 GB)M532 GB~20Simulate output on MacBook Air 13" M5 (32 GB)Orin~25Simulate output on NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin 32GBSnapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100)~16Simulate output on Snapdragon X Elite Copilot+ PC
By VRAM tier · typical GPUs and Macs at Q4_K_M
Alternatives to Meta Llama 3 8B
Llama 3 family · 64 models →Similar models
6| Model | Score | VRAM | tok/s | Why it is similar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALoDLM 8BAmazon | — | 7.6 GB | ~119 | same size |
| Llm Jp 4.1 8B Thinkingllm-jp | — | 7.6 GB | ~115 | same size |
| Ling 3.0 TinyInclusion AI | — | 5.5 GB | ~364 | same size |
| LFM2.5 8B A1BLiquid AI | — | 5.6 GB | ~335 | same size |
| BitCPM CANN 8BOpenBMB | — | 5.6 GB | ~127 | same size |
| Gemma 4 E4BGoogle | — | 5.6 GB | ~123 | same size |
Specifications
- Publisher
- Nous Research
- Family
- Llama 3
- Parameters
- 8.0B
- Architecture
- LlamaForCausalLM
- Context Length
- 8,192 tokens
- Vocabulary Size
- 128,256
- Release Date
- 2024-04-18
- License
- Other
Frequently Asked Questions
How much VRAM does Meta Llama 3 8B need?
Meta Llama 3 8B requires 5.4 GB of VRAM at Q4_K_M, or 16.6 GB at BF16. Full 8K context adds up to 0.8 GB (6.2 GB total).
VRAM = Weights + KV Cache + Overhead
Weights = 8.0B × 4.8 bits ÷ 8 = 4.8 GB
KV Cache + Overhead ≈ 0.6 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 ≈ 1.4 GB (at full 8K context)
VRAM usage by quantization
What's the best quantization for Meta Llama 3 8B?
For Meta Llama 3 8B, Q4_K_M (5.4 GB) offers the best balance of quality and VRAM usage. Q5_K_S (6.1 GB) provides better quality if you have the VRAM. The smallest option is IQ2_XXS at 2.8 GB.
VRAM requirement by quantization
★ Recommended — best balance of quality and VRAM usage.
Can I run Meta Llama 3 8B on a Mac?
Yes, but only at lower quantizations. The smallest Mac that can run Meta Llama 3 8B is Mac Mini M1 (8 GB) at IQ2_XXS; 156 of the 156 Macs we list can run it at some quantization. For Q4_K_M (5.4 GB) you need a Mac with more unified memory.
Can I run Meta Llama 3 8B locally?
Yes — Meta Llama 3 8B can run locally on consumer hardware. Popular tools include Ollama, LM Studio, and llama.cpp.
How fast is Meta Llama 3 8B?
At Q4_K_M, Meta Llama 3 8B can reach ~891 tok/s on AMD Instinct MI350X. On NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090: ~122 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 ÷ 5.39 × 0.65 = ~965 tok/s
Estimated speed at Q4_K_M (5.4 GB)
Real-world results typically within ±20%. Speed depends on batch size, quantization kernel, and software stack.
What's the download size of Meta Llama 3 8B?
At Q4_K_M, the download is about 4.82 GB. The full-precision BF16 version is 16.06 GB. The smallest option (IQ2_XXS) is 2.21 GB.
Which GPUs can run Meta Llama 3 8B?
52 consumer GPUs can run Meta Llama 3 8B at Q4_K_M. Top options include AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, AMD Radeon RX 6800, AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, AMD Radeon RX 7600. 40 GPUs have plenty of headroom for comfortable inference.
Which devices can run Meta Llama 3 8B?
159 devices with unified memory can run Meta Llama 3 8B at Q4_K_M (5.4 GB), including AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (Strix Point) Laptop, ASUS Ascent GX10, Apple iPhone 17 Pro, Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025, 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.