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Text model · Qwen3-VL

Qwen3-VL 4B: RAM and VRAM requirements

Qwen3-VL 4B needs about 4.4 GB to run at Q4_K_M (the Q4_K_M GGUF file is ~3.11 GB to download; KV cache and overhead add the rest), or about 6.1 GB at Q8_0. The lightest hardware that runs it is Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB).

Qwen3-VL family · 4.44B params · released Oct 2025.

Shopping for hardware? See what runs Qwen3-VL 4B →

Vision · accepts images License Apache-2.0 · Commercial OK ↓ 3.4M/mo ♥ 485 on HuggingFace
Q4_K_M GGUF
3.11 GB
Q8_0 GGUF
4.77 GB
Memory @ Q4 (4k)
~4.4 GB
Context
256 k

Q4_K_M and Q8_0 are GGUF download (file) sizes. Memory @ Q4 includes the KV cache and overhead, so it runs larger than the file on disk.

Will it run on your device?

Qwen3-VL 4B runs on 43 of 43 tracked devices at Q4_K_M.

36 run well 7 tight fit 0 too small
Fit check Q4_K_M
Yes, it runs fast
needs 4.4 GB usable 10.5 GB
See the full breakdown
$ollama run qwen3-vl:4b

Memory breakdown

Weights (Q4_K_M)3.11 GB
+
KV cache (4k)0.5 GB
+
Overhead0.8 GB
=
Total4.4 GB

How context length changes it

4k context ~4.4 GB 32k context ~7.9 GB 128k context ~20.1 GB

Longer context grows the KV cache quickly: Qwen3-VL 4B needs ~4.4 GB at 4k but ~20.1 GB at 128k, which can push it past a device that fits it at a short context.

Speed drops too: every token re-reads the KV cache, so at 128k context Qwen3-VL 4B generates at roughly ~16% of its short-context speed. How this is estimated.

Quantization sizes

GGUF quantson disk
Quantization Size on disk
Q2_K 1.9 GB est
Q3_K_M 2.2 GB est
Q4_K_M (default) 3.11 GB
Q5_K_M 3.2 GB est
Q6_K 3.6 GB est
Q8_0 4.77 GB
FP16 8.9 GB est

Lower quant = smaller and faster, slightly lower quality. Q4_K_M is the common default.

Run it

Ollama
$ ollama run qwen3-vl:4b
llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf Qwen/Qwen3-VL-4B-Instruct-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get Qwen/Qwen3-VL-4B-Instruct-GGUF

Which devices can run Qwen3-VL 4B?

NVIDIA GPUs

Apple Silicon Macs

RAM-only laptops

iPhone & iPad

Android

AMD GPUs

Same job, different size

Pick by what fits your memory: step down to free up VRAM, or step up if you have headroom.

Next size down Nemotron 3 Nano 4B 4B Next size up Gemma 4 E2B 5.1B

Similar models

Head-to-head

FAQ

How much VRAM or RAM does Qwen3-VL 4B need?

At Q4_K_M, Qwen3-VL 4B needs about 4.4 GB (weights ~3.11 GB + KV cache + overhead) at a 4k context. At Q8_0 budget ~6.1 GB.

What is the Q4_K_M GGUF file size of Qwen3-VL 4B?

The Q4_K_M GGUF file is about 3.11 GB to download, and the Q8_0 GGUF is about 4.77 GB. That is the weights file on disk; to run it you also need room for the KV cache and overhead, so budget ~4.4 GB of memory at Q4_K_M.

Can Qwen3-VL 4B run on a laptop?

Yes, Qwen3-VL 4B fits on a 16 GB machine at Q4_K_M and runs on Apple Silicon or a 12 GB+ GPU comfortably.

Can I use Qwen3-VL 4B commercially?

Yes. Qwen3-VL 4B is licensed Apache-2.0, which permits commercial use.

Understand the numbers

Short guides to the ideas behind Qwen3-VL 4B's memory and quant figures.

Official Qwen GGUF files measure Q4_K_M at 2,497,281,664 bytes and Q8_0 at 4,280,406,144 bytes. The 836,180,256-byte F16 mmproj is folded into the 3.10GB and 4.77GB totals. Ollama qwen3-vl:4b defaults to Q4_K_M and pulls 3,295,612,832 bytes independently. Vision input needs an mmproj-capable runtime.

Sources

Catalog updated 2026-10-05. Memory figures are estimates. See methodology.