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Head-to-head · Qwen3

Qwen3 8B vs Qwen3 235B A22B

Qwen3 8B needs ~6.5 GB at Q4_K_M; Qwen3 235B A22B needs ~136.9 GB. That ~130.4 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 10 of the 14 devices below.

Spec Qwen3 8B Qwen3 235B A22B
Parameters8B235B MoE
Memory at Q4_K_M~6.5 GB~136.9 GB
Context window32k128k
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 235B A22B
Q2_K 3.4 GB* 98.4 GB*
Q3_K_M 3.9 GB* 114.9 GB*
Q4_K_M 5.03 GB 132.39 GB
Q5_K_M 5.7 GB* 167.4 GB*
Q6_K 6.6 GB* 192.7 GB*
Q8_0 8.71 GB 232.77 GB
FP16 16 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 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 235B A22B.

More Qwen3 comparisons

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Qwen3 8B and Qwen3 235B A22B?

At Q4_K_M, Qwen3 8B needs about 6.5 GB and Qwen3 235B A22B needs about 136.9 GB, a difference of ~130.4 GB.

Should I run Qwen3 8B 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 8B (~6.5 GB) for lighter hardware, faster responses, and more memory headroom.

Full breakdowns: Qwen3 8B · Qwen3 235B A22B · all models × devices.

Sources

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