BFWR AI Tools
Alibaba QwenGeneralLicense: Apache 2.0

Qwen3 8B

A capable small dense model for 16GB machines.

Qwen3-8B (April 2025) is a dense 8.2B model with switchable thinking and non-thinking modes. It's a solid default for 16GB laptops and 8GB GPUs.

Parameter Count8.2B
Context Window40k tokens
Min VRAM (Q4)6 GB
Recommended RAM9 GB+

⚡ Key Architectural Strengths

✓Thinking and non-thinking modes
✓Runs on 16GB machines
✓Apache 2.0 licence

VRAM & Quantization Memory Footprint

Exact file weights, minimum VRAM to boot, and recommended headroom for extended context windows.

Quantization TierWeight SizeMin VRAM/RAMRecommended VRAMRecommended Use Case
Q4_K_M (Recommended)4.9 GB6.4 GB8.2 GB4-bit weights. The usual size/quality sweet spot for local use.
Q8_0 (High Precision)8.7 GB10.7 GB13.1 GB8-bit weights. Close to full quality at about half the size of BF16.
BF16 / FP16 (Unquantized)16.4 GB19.4 GB23 GBUnquantized weights, mainly for fine-tuning or GPU servers.

⚡ Need to calculate exact KV Cache with 16k or 32k context?

Simulate exact VRAM allocations across various context lengths and precision depths.

Launch VRAM Calculator →

1-Click Local Run Commands

Copy and paste directly into your terminal or local server engine.

Ollama CLI:
ollama run qwen3:8b
LM Studio CLI:
lms get qwen3-8b
vLLM Production Server:
vllm serve Qwen/Qwen3-8B
llama.cpp Binary:
./llama-server -m Qwen3-8B-Q4_K_M.gguf -c 16384

Hardware Compatibility & Speed Estimates

Estimated against 55+ Apple Silicon, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA hardware profiles.

🟢 64 Comfortable | 🟡 7 Tight Fit
Device / Hardware NamePlatformRAM/VRAMFit StatusEst. Tokens/SecNotes
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)macOS16 GBComfortable15.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~10.7GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
HP Omnibook 5 OLEDWindows ARM32 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max)macOS64 GBComfortable72.4 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~48GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac mini (M4, 16GB)macOS16 GBComfortable15.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~10.7GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro, 24GB)macOS24 GBComfortable36.2 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~16.1GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac Studio (M2 Ultra 192GB)macOS192 GBComfortable106.1 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~144GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7Windows ARM16 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~9.6GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 (Snapdragon)Windows ARM32 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
ASUS Zenbook S 16 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370)Windows x8632 GBComfortable15.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Dell XPS 13 (Intel Core Ultra 7 258V)Windows x8632 GBComfortable18 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (RTX 4070 Laptop)Windows x8632 GBTight Fit30.6 t/sFits with a modest context (4k-8k). Close other memory-heavy apps. Speed is an estimate.
Razer Blade 16 (RTX 4090 Mobile 16GB)Windows x8632 GBComfortable76.4 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Framework Laptop 13 (Ryzen 7 7840U)Linux64 GBComfortable11.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~38.4GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (RTX 4080 12GB)Windows x8632 GBComfortable57.3 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~12GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Dell XPS 14 (Core Ultra 7)Windows x8616 GBComfortable15.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~9.6GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 (Budget Setup)Windows x868 GBUnsupported—Not enough memory to load the 4-bit weights (~4.9GB) plus overhead.
Acer Swift 14 AI (Snapdragon X Plus)Windows ARM16 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~9.6GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Custom Workstation PC (RTX 4090 24GB)Linux64 GBComfortable133.7 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~24GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Legacy Budget Desktop (GTX 1650 4GB)Windows x8616 GBCPU Offload5.7 t/sExceeds the 4GB of VRAM, so some layers run from system RAM, which is much slower. Estimate only.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max 128GB)macOS128 GBComfortable72.4 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~96GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro 48GB)macOS48 GBComfortable36.2 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~36GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Base 24GB)macOS24 GBComfortable15.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~16.1GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M3 16GB)macOS16 GBComfortable13.3 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~10.7GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3 8GB Base)macOS8 GBUnsupported—Not enough memory to load the 4-bit weights (~4.9GB) plus overhead.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2 16GB)macOS16 GBComfortable13.3 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~10.7GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Air (M1 16GB Legacy)macOS16 GBComfortable9.1 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~10.7GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max 128GB)macOS128 GBComfortable53.1 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~96GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Pro 36GB)macOS36 GBComfortable19.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~24.1GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac Studio (M1 Ultra 64GB)macOS64 GBComfortable106.1 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~48GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (Snapdragon X Elite)Windows ARM16 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~9.6GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Copilot+Windows ARM32 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 Copilot+ (OLED)Windows ARM32 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Dell XPS 13 Copilot+ (Snapdragon X Elite)Windows ARM16 GBComfortable17.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~9.6GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Custom Workstation PC (RTX 4080 Super 16GB)Linux / Windows32 GBComfortable97.6 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Custom AI Workstation (RTX 4070 Ti Super 16GB)Linux / Windows32 GBComfortable89.1 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Desktop PC (RTX 4070 Super 12GB)Windows / Linux32 GBComfortable66.9 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~12GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Budget AI Workstation (RTX 4060 Ti 16GB)Linux / Windows32 GBComfortable38.2 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Mainstream Desktop (RTX 4060 8GB)Windows / Linux32 GBTight Fit32.5 t/sFits with a modest context (4k-8k). Close other memory-heavy apps. Speed is an estimate.
Used AI Powerhouse PC (RTX 3090 24GB)Linux / Windows64 GBComfortable124.2 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~24GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Budget Workhorse PC (RTX 3060 12GB)Windows / Linux16 GBComfortable47.8 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~12GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Lenovo Legion 5i (RTX 4060 Laptop 8GB)Windows x8616 GBTight Fit30.6 t/sFits with a modest context (4k-8k). Close other memory-heavy apps. Speed is an estimate.
ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (RTX 4060 Laptop 8GB)Windows x8616 GBTight Fit30.6 t/sFits with a modest context (4k-8k). Close other memory-heavy apps. Speed is an estimate.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (RTX 4070 Laptop)Windows x8632 GBTight Fit30.6 t/sFits with a modest context (4k-8k). Close other memory-heavy apps. Speed is an estimate.
HP Victus 16 (RTX 4050 Laptop 6GB)Windows x8616 GBCPU Offload11.9 t/sExceeds the 6GB of VRAM, so some layers run from system RAM, which is much slower. Estimate only.
Dell Alienware m16 R2 (RTX 4070 8GB)Windows x8632 GBTight Fit30.6 t/sFits with a modest context (4k-8k). Close other memory-heavy apps. Speed is an estimate.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (AMD AI 9 + RTX 4070)Windows x8632 GBTight Fit30.6 t/sFits with a modest context (4k-8k). Close other memory-heavy apps. Speed is an estimate.
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 (Ryzen 7 8845HS)Windows / Linux32 GBComfortable13.6 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Custom Workstation PC (Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB)Linux / Windows64 GBComfortable127.3 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~24GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Desktop PC (Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB)Linux / Windows32 GBComfortable82.8 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Budget Workstation (Radeon RX 7600 XT 16GB)Linux / Windows32 GBComfortable38.2 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
ASUS Zenbook S 14 (Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7)Windows x8632 GBComfortable18 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura (Core Ultra 7 256V)Windows x8616 GBComfortable18 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~9.6GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Custom PC (Intel Arc A770 16GB)Linux / Windows32 GBComfortable74.3 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Homelab AI Server (Dual RTX 3090 48GB VRAM)Linux (Ubuntu Server)128 GBComfortable124.2 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~48GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12Windows x86 / Linux32 GBComfortable15.9 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Flagship AI Workstation (RTX 5090 32GB)Linux / Windows64 GBComfortable237.7 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~32GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
High-End AI Rig (RTX 5080 16GB)Linux / Windows64 GBComfortable127.3 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Next-Gen AI Laptop (Ryzen AI Max+ 395 128GB)Linux / Windows128 GBComfortable34 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~96GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB, 2026)macOS16 GBComfortable20.3 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~10.7GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac mini (M6, 32GB, 2026)macOS32 GBComfortable22.6 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~21.4GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 48GB, 2026)macOS48 GBComfortable40.7 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~36GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 64GB, 2026)macOS64 GBComfortable40.7 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~48GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 32GB, 2025)macOS32 GBComfortable20.3 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~21.4GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Max, 128GB, 2026)macOS128 GBComfortable81.4 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~96GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 256GB, 2026)macOS256 GBComfortable159.2 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~192GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 512GB, 2026)macOS512 GBComfortable159.2 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~384GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra, 512GB, 2025)macOS512 GBComfortable108.6 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~384GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
NVIDIA DGX Spark (GB10, 128GB)DGX OS (Linux)128 GBComfortable36.2 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~110GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Desktop with NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti (16GB)Windows / Linux32 GBComfortable118.9 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Desktop with NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (16GB)Windows / Linux32 GBComfortable59.4 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Desktop with AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (16GB)Windows / Linux32 GBComfortable84.9 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Desktop with AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (16GB)Windows / Linux32 GBComfortable42.4 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~16GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Desktop with Intel Arc B580 (12GB)Windows / Linux32 GBComfortable60.5 t/sFits fully in VRAM (~12GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
ASUS Zenbook A16 (Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, 48GB)Windows 11 (ARM)48 GBComfortable30.2 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~28.8GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.
Snapdragon X2 Elite Laptop (32GB)Windows 11 (ARM)32 GBComfortable20.2 t/sFits fully in GPU-usable memory (~19.2GB) with room for a longer context. Speed is a bandwidth-based estimate.

Guides that cover Qwen3 8B

Step-by-step setup, memory sizing and quantization choices from the BFWR guide library.

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