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NE Nemotron Nano 9B v2: RAM and VRAM requirements

Nemotron Nano 9B v2 needs about 7.6 GB to run at Q4_K_M (the Q4_K_M GGUF file is ~6.08 GB to download; KV cache and overhead add the rest), or about 10.3 GB at Q8_0. The lightest hardware that runs it is Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB).

Nemotron family · 9B params · released Aug 2025.

Shopping for hardware? See what runs Nemotron Nano 9B v2 →

License nvidia-open-model-license · Conditional ↓ 304.6K/mo ♥ 506 on HuggingFace
Q4_K_M GGUF
6.08 GB
Q8_0 GGUF
8.81 GB
Memory @ Q4 (4k)
~7.6 GB
Context
128 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 Nano 9B v2 runs on 33 of 40 tracked devices at Q4_K_M.

29 run well 4 tight fit 7 too small
Fit check Q4_K_M
Yes, it runs fast
needs 7.6 GB usable 10.5 GB
See the full breakdown

Memory breakdown

Weights (Q4_K_M)6.08 GB
+
KV cache (4k)0.7 GB
+
Overhead0.8 GB
=
Total7.6 GB

How context length changes it

4k context ~7.6 GB 32k context ~12.7 GB 128k context ~29.9 GB

Longer context grows the KV cache quickly: Nemotron Nano 9B v2 needs ~7.6 GB at 4k but ~29.9 GB at 128k, which can push it past a device that fits it at a short context.

Speed drops too: every token re-reads the KV cache, so at 128k context Nemotron Nano 9B v2 generates at roughly ~21% of its short-context speed. How this is estimated.

Quantization sizes

GGUF quantson disk
Quantization Size on disk
Q2_K 3.8 GB est
Q3_K_M 4.4 GB est
Q4_K_M (default) 6.08 GB
Q5_K_M 6.4 GB est
Q6_K 7.4 GB est
Q8_0 8.81 GB
FP16 17.79 GB

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

Run it

llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf bartowski/nvidia_NVIDIA-Nemotron-Nano-9B-v2-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get bartowski/nvidia_NVIDIA-Nemotron-Nano-9B-v2-GGUF

Which devices can run Nemotron Nano 9B v2?

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 4.1 8B 8.8B Next size up Falcon3 10B 10B

Similar models

Head-to-head

FAQ

How much VRAM or RAM does Nemotron Nano 9B v2 need?

At Q4_K_M, Nemotron Nano 9B v2 needs about 7.6 GB (weights ~6.08 GB + KV cache + overhead) at a 4k context. At Q8_0 budget ~10.3 GB.

What is the Q4_K_M GGUF file size of Nemotron Nano 9B v2?

The Q4_K_M GGUF file is about 6.08 GB to download, and the Q8_0 GGUF is about 8.81 GB. That is the weights file on disk; to run it you also need room for the KV cache and overhead, so budget ~7.6 GB of memory at Q4_K_M.

Can Nemotron Nano 9B v2 run on a laptop?

Nemotron Nano 9B v2 is large; you need a 24 GB+ GPU or a 32-48 GB Mac at Q4_K_M.

Can I use Nemotron Nano 9B v2 commercially?

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

Understand the numbers

Short guides to the ideas behind Nemotron Nano 9B v2's memory and quant figures.

NVIDIA's small hybrid Mamba-Transformer. 9B, runs on a 16GB machine.

Sources

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