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Head-to-head · Qwen3

Qwen3 30B-A3B vs Qwen3 235B A22B

Qwen3 30B-A3B needs ~20.7 GB at Q4_K_M; Qwen3 235B A22B needs ~136.9 GB. That ~116.2 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 4 of the 14 devices below.

Spec Qwen3 30B-A3B Qwen3 235B A22B
Parameters30.5B MoE235B MoE
Memory at Q4_K_M~20.7 GB~136.9 GB
Context window32k128k
LMArenaElo 1383not 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 30B-A3B Qwen3 235B A22B
Q2_K 12.8 GB* 98.4 GB*
Q3_K_M 14.9 GB* 114.9 GB*
Q4_K_M 18.6 GB 132.39 GB
Q5_K_M 21.7 GB* 167.4 GB*
Q6_K 25 GB* 192.7 GB*
Q8_0 32.5 GB 232.77 GB
FP16 61 GB 470 GB*

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

Bottom line

The larger Qwen3 235B A22B needs ~136.9 GB; Qwen3 30B-A3B runs on lighter hardware at ~20.7 GB with more headroom and faster responses. Check each against your exact device: what runs Qwen3 30B-A3B · what runs Qwen3 235B A22B.

More Qwen3 comparisons

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Qwen3 30B-A3B and Qwen3 235B A22B?

At Q4_K_M, Qwen3 30B-A3B needs about 20.7 GB and Qwen3 235B A22B needs about 136.9 GB, a difference of ~116.2 GB.

Should I run Qwen3 30B-A3B or Qwen3 235B A22B?

Run Qwen3 235B A22B if your hardware has the ~136.9 GB it needs and you want maximum quality; run Qwen3 30B-A3B (~20.7 GB) for lighter hardware, faster responses, and more memory headroom.

Full breakdowns: Qwen3 30B-A3B · Qwen3 235B A22B · all models × devices.

Sources

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