← Can It Run? — GPU compatibility matrix · Local LLMs guide
Gemma 3 12B needs 7.5 GB VRAM at Q4. The RTX 5090 32GB has 32 GB.
💎 Gemma 3 12B (Google) is a 12B-parameter model for high-quality chat, vision, reasoning. Google’s efficient mid-size model with strong quality per GB. The question is whether the RTX 5090 32GB’s 32 GB of VRAM can hold it — here’s the exact math.
VRAM requirements
| Quantization | VRAM needed | RTX 5090 32GB |
|---|---|---|
| Q4_K_M (recommended) | 7.5 GB | ✅ |
| Q8_0 (near-lossless) | 12.8 GB | ✅ |
Expected performance
Running Gemma 3 12B at Q4 on the RTX 5090 32GB, expect roughly ~65 tokens/sec in Ollama or llama.cpp — comfortably faster than reading speed, so chat feels responsive.
Headroom: 7.5 GB used of 32 GB leaves about 24.5 GB free for KV cache (context). That’s fine for 4-8K context; for 32K+ you may need a smaller batch or a lower quant.
About the RTX 5090 32GB
Architecture: Blackwell · VRAM: 32 GB · Price: ~$2,000+.
Good: 32GB + Blackwell speed — runs 70B at Q4 on a single card
Watch out: Very expensive, high power draw, hard to buy at MSRP
Check current RTX 5090 32GB price on Amazon →
Related checks
Other models on the RTX 5090 32GB
🎯 LLM Hardware Checker
Enter your exact GPU + RAM, see every model you can run.
💾 VRAM Requirements
Exact VRAM per model at Q4/Q5/Q8/FP16 with context scaling.
Frequently asked questions
Can the RTX 5090 32GB run Gemma 3 12B?
Yes — runs at Q4 and full Q8 quality. Gemma 3 12B needs 7.5 GB VRAM at Q4_K_M; the RTX 5090 32GB has 32 GB.
How much VRAM does Gemma 3 12B need?
Gemma 3 12B needs about 7.5 GB at Q4_K_M (recommended) and 12.8 GB at Q8_0.
How many tokens per second will the RTX 5090 32GB get on Gemma 3 12B?
Roughly ~65 tokens/sec at Q4 in Ollama or llama.cpp.