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Text model · Gemma

Gemma 2 2B: RAM and VRAM requirements

Gemma 2 2B needs about 2.9 GB to run at Q4_K_M (the Q4_K_M GGUF file is ~1.71 GB to download; KV cache and overhead add the rest), or about 4 GB at Q8_0. The lightest hardware that runs it is Apple M1 (8GB).

Gemma family · 2.61B params · released 2024-07-31 · 17.2M Ollama pulls.

Shopping for hardware? See what runs Gemma 2 2B →

License Gemma · Conditional ↓ 556.8K/mo ♥ 1.4K on HuggingFace
Q4_K_M GGUF
1.71 GB
Q8_0 GGUF
2.78 GB
Memory @ Q4 (4k)
~2.9 GB
Context
8 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?

Gemma 2 2B runs on 40 of 40 tracked devices at Q4_K_M.

40 run well 0 tight fit 0 too small
Fit check Q4_K_M
Yes, it runs fast
needs 2.9 GB usable 10.5 GB
See the full breakdown
$ollama run gemma2:2b

Memory breakdown

Weights (Q4_K_M)1.71 GB
+
KV cache (4k)0.4 GB
+
Overhead0.8 GB
=
Total2.9 GB

How context length changes it

4k context ~2.9 GB 32k context ~5.6 GB 128k context ~14.9 GB

Gemma 2 2B is small enough that the context window is the thing to size for: 128k needs ~14.9 GB versus ~2.9 GB at 4k, so pick the window you actually use.

Speed drops too: every token re-reads the KV cache, so at 128k context Gemma 2 2B generates at roughly ~12% of its short-context speed. How this is estimated.

Quantization sizes

GGUF quantson disk
Quantization Size on disk
Q2_K 1.1 GB est
Q3_K_M 1.3 GB est
Q4_K_M (default) 1.71 GB
Q5_K_M 1.9 GB est
Q6_K 2.1 GB est
Q8_0 2.78 GB
FP16 5.2 GB est

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

Run it

Ollama
$ ollama run gemma2:2b
llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf bartowski/gemma-2-2b-it-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get bartowski/gemma-2-2b-it-GGUF

Which devices can run Gemma 2 2B?

Apple Silicon Macs

RAM-only laptops

iPhone & iPad

Android

NVIDIA GPUs

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 Granite 3.1 2B 2.53B Next size up Llama 3.2 3B 3B

Similar models

Head-to-head

FAQ

How much VRAM or RAM does Gemma 2 2B need?

At Q4_K_M, Gemma 2 2B needs about 2.9 GB (weights ~1.71 GB + KV cache + overhead) at a 4k context. At Q8_0 budget ~4 GB.

What is the Q4_K_M GGUF file size of Gemma 2 2B?

The Q4_K_M GGUF file is about 1.71 GB to download, and the Q8_0 GGUF is about 2.78 GB. That is the weights file on disk; to run it you also need room for the KV cache and overhead, so budget ~2.9 GB of memory at Q4_K_M.

Can Gemma 2 2B run on a laptop?

Yes, Gemma 2 2B fits on a 16 GB machine at Q4_K_M and runs on Apple Silicon or a 12 GB+ GPU comfortably.

Can I use Gemma 2 2B commercially?

Conditionally. Gemma Terms of Use apply to commercial use.

Understand the numbers

Short guides to the ideas behind Gemma 2 2B's memory and quant figures.

Google's smallest Gemma 2 model. Uses sliding-window attention (local 4K + global 8K). Strong code and reasoning for its size. Released July 31, 2024 separately from the 9B/27B launch.

Sources

Last validated 2026-08-03. Memory figures are estimates. See methodology.