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Text model · Gemma

Gemma 3 270M: RAM and VRAM requirements

Gemma 3 270M needs about 1.1 GB to run at Q4_K_M (the Q4_K_M GGUF file is ~0.2 GB to download; KV cache and overhead add the rest), or about 1.2 GB at Q8_0. The lightest hardware that runs it is Apple M1 (8GB).

Gemma family · 0.27B params · released Mar 2025.

Shopping for hardware? See what runs Gemma 3 270M →

License Gemma · Conditional ↓ 2.1M/mo ♥ 1.1K on HuggingFace
Q4_K_M GGUF
0.2 GB
Q8_0 GGUF
0.27 GB
Memory @ Q4 (4k)
~1.1 GB
Context
32 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 3 270M 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 1.1 GB usable 10.5 GB
See the full breakdown
$ollama run gemma3:270m

Memory breakdown

Weights (Q4_K_M)0.2 GB
+
KV cache (4k)0.1 GB
+
Overhead0.8 GB
=
Total1.1 GB

How context length changes it

4k context ~1.1 GB 32k context ~2 GB 128k context ~5 GB

Gemma 3 270M is small enough that the context window is the thing to size for: 128k needs ~5 GB versus ~1.1 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 3 270M generates at roughly ~5% of its short-context speed. How this is estimated.

Quantization sizes

GGUF quantson disk
Quantization Size on disk
Q2_K 0.1 GB est
Q3_K_M 0.1 GB est
Q4_K_M (default) 0.2 GB est
Q5_K_M 0.2 GB est
Q6_K 0.2 GB est
Q8_0 0.27 GB
FP16 0.543 GB

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

Run it

Ollama
$ ollama run gemma3:270m
llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf ggml-org/gemma-3-270m-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get ggml-org/gemma-3-270m-GGUF

Which devices can run Gemma 3 270M?

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 SmolLM2 135M 135M Next size up LFM2 350M 354M

Similar models

Head-to-head

FAQ

How much VRAM or RAM does Gemma 3 270M need?

At Q4_K_M, Gemma 3 270M needs about 1.1 GB (weights ~0.2 GB + KV cache + overhead) at a 4k context. At Q8_0 budget ~1.2 GB.

What is the Q4_K_M GGUF file size of Gemma 3 270M?

The Q4_K_M GGUF file is about 0.2 GB to download, and the Q8_0 GGUF is about 0.27 GB. That is the weights file on disk; to run it you also need room for the KV cache and overhead, so budget ~1.1 GB of memory at Q4_K_M.

Can Gemma 3 270M run on a laptop?

Yes, Gemma 3 270M 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 3 270M commercially?

Conditionally. Gemma Terms of Use apply to commercial use.

Understand the numbers

Short guides to the ideas behind Gemma 3 270M's memory and quant figures.

Q4_K_M not present in ggml-org/gemma-3-270m-GGUF repo (only Q8_0 at 292 MB published there); fp16 from ollama gemma3:270m-it-fp16 at 543 MB. Gemma license requires acceptance; free for most uses but has content and redistribution conditions. 32K context confirmed from Ollama library listing and HF model card.

Sources

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