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Head-to-head · Qwen3

Qwen3 8B vs Qwen3 14B

Qwen3 8B needs ~6.5 GB at Q4_K_M; Qwen3 14B needs ~10.7 GB. That ~4.2 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 3 of the 14 devices below.

Spec Qwen3 8B Qwen3 14B
Parameters8B14B
Memory at Q4_K_M~6.5 GB~10.7 GB
Context window32k32k
LMArenanot rankednot ranked
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0

Which devices run each

A representative spread across the memory range. Tap a verdict for the full breakdown.

Size at each quantization

Quant Qwen3 8B Qwen3 14B
Q2_K 3.4 GB* 5.9 GB*
Q3_K_M 3.9 GB* 6.8 GB*
Q4_K_M 5.03 GB 9 GB
Q5_K_M 5.7 GB* 10 GB*
Q6_K 6.6 GB* 11.5 GB*
Q8_0 8.71 GB 15.7 GB
FP16 16 GB 30 GB

* derived from bits-per-weight; unstarred sizes are measured GGUF files.

Bottom line

The larger Qwen3 14B needs ~10.7 GB; Qwen3 8B runs on lighter hardware at ~6.5 GB with more headroom and faster responses. Check each against your exact device: what runs Qwen3 8B · what runs Qwen3 14B.

More Qwen3 comparisons

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Qwen3 8B and Qwen3 14B?

At Q4_K_M, Qwen3 8B needs about 6.5 GB and Qwen3 14B needs about 10.7 GB, a difference of ~4.2 GB.

Should I run Qwen3 8B or Qwen3 14B?

Run Qwen3 14B if your hardware has the ~10.7 GB it needs and you want maximum quality; run Qwen3 8B (~6.5 GB) for lighter hardware, faster responses, and more memory headroom.

Full breakdowns: Qwen3 8B · Qwen3 14B · all models × devices.

Sources

Memory figures are estimates at Q4_K_M, validated 2026-08-03. See methodology.