Text model · Nemotron 3

NE Nemotron 3 Nano 4B: RAM and VRAM requirements

Nemotron 3 Nano 4B needs about 3.9 GB to run at Q4_K_M (the Q4_K_M GGUF file is ~2.64 GB to download; KV cache and overhead add the rest), or about 5.2 GB at Q8_0. The lightest hardware that runs it is Apple M1 (8GB).

Nemotron 3 family · 4B params · released Mar 2026.

Shopping for hardware? See what runs Nemotron 3 Nano 4B →

License nvidia-nemotron-open-model-license · Conditional ↓ 10.4K/mo ♥ 187 on HuggingFace

Q4_K_M GGUF

2.64 GB

Q8_0 GGUF

3.94 GB

Memory @ Q4 (4k)

~3.9 GB

Context

256 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?

Nemotron 3 Nano 4B runs on 40 of 40 tracked devices at Q4_K_M.

35 run well 5 tight fit 0 too small

Fit check Q4_K_M

Your device

Apple M4 (16GB)

Yes, it runs fast

needs 3.9 GB usable 10.5 GB

See the full breakdown

$ollama run nemotron-3-nano:4b

Memory breakdown

Weights (Q4_K_M)2.64 GB

KV cache (4k)0.5 GB

Overhead0.8 GB

Total3.9 GB

How context length changes it

4k context ~3.9 GB 32k context ~7.2 GB 128k context ~18.8 GB

Nemotron 3 Nano 4B is small enough that the context window is the thing to size for: 128k needs ~18.8 GB versus ~3.9 GB at 4k, so pick the window you actually use.

Speed drops too: every token re-reads the KV cache, so at 128k context Nemotron 3 Nano 4B generates at roughly ~15% of its short-context speed. How this is estimated.

Quantization sizes

GGUF quantson disk

Quantization	Size on disk
Q2_K	1.7 GB est
Q3_K_M	2 GB est
Q4_K_M (default)	2.64 GB
Q5_K_M	2.9 GB est
Q6_K	3.3 GB est
Q8_0	3.94 GB
FP16	7.41 GB

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

Run it

Ollama

$ ollama run nemotron-3-nano:4b

llama.cpp

$ llama-cli -hf nvidia/NVIDIA-Nemotron-3-Nano-4B-GGUF:Q4_K_M

LM Studio

$ lms get nvidia/NVIDIA-Nemotron-3-Nano-4B-GGUF

Which devices can run Nemotron 3 Nano 4B?

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 Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B 3.82B Next size up Gemma 4 E2B 5.1B

Similar models

Head-to-head

FAQ

How much VRAM or RAM does Nemotron 3 Nano 4B need?

At Q4_K_M, Nemotron 3 Nano 4B needs about 3.9 GB (weights ~2.64 GB + KV cache + overhead) at a 4k context. At Q8_0 budget ~5.2 GB.

What is the Q4_K_M GGUF file size of Nemotron 3 Nano 4B?

The Q4_K_M GGUF file is about 2.64 GB to download, and the Q8_0 GGUF is about 3.94 GB. That is the weights file on disk; to run it you also need room for the KV cache and overhead, so budget ~3.9 GB of memory at Q4_K_M.

Can Nemotron 3 Nano 4B run on a laptop?

Yes, Nemotron 3 Nano 4B fits on a 16 GB machine at Q4_K_M and runs on Apple Silicon or a 12 GB+ GPU comfortably.

Can I use Nemotron 3 Nano 4B commercially?

Conditionally. NVIDIA Nemotron Open Model License; check the terms for commercial use.

Understand the numbers

Short guides to the ideas behind Nemotron 3 Nano 4B's memory and quant figures.

NVIDIA's dense small model in the new Nemotron 3 family: 4B, 256K context by default (up to 1M). Q4_K_M from NVIDIA's own official GGUF repo; Q8_0/F16 from mradermacher's BF16 re-quant since NVIDIA only ships Q4_K_M directly. NVIDIA Nemotron Open Model License.

Sources

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