audio model · whisper · Windows
Can I run Whisper large-v3 on Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB)?
Yes. Whisper large-v3 runs on Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) at int8 (~2.5 GB of ~11 GB usable).
Runs at int8 using ~2.5 GB of ~11 GB usable.
- Peak memory
- ~2.5 GB
- Usable on device
- ~11 GB
- Device memory
- 12 GB
- Quant
- int8
How to run it
Use whisper.cpp or faster-whisper at int8. It is light enough to run on CPU; a GPU just makes it faster.
- Type
- Speech to text
- Parameters
- 1.55B
- Peak memory
- ~2.5 GB at int8
- License
- MIT
- Memory
- 12 GB vram
- Usable for weights
- ~11 GB
- Best runtime
- Ollama (CUDA) / llama.cpp CUDA
You could also run
Run Whisper large-v3 on other hardware
FAQ
Can Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) run Whisper large-v3?
Yes. Whisper large-v3 runs on Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) at int8 (~2.5 GB of ~11 GB usable).
How much memory does Whisper large-v3 need?
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) has room to spare. At int8 the realistic peak is ~2.5 GB of memory.
What do I use to run Whisper large-v3 locally?
Whisper large-v3 runs in whisper.cpp or faster-whisper (among others). It runs on CPU, so no GPU is required.
Sources
VRAM figures are sourced peak-usage anchors at the noted quant, validated 2026-06-15. See methodology.