How much VRAM does Gemma 3 27B need?

Gemma 3 27B (27B parameters) requires approximately 25.1 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Gemma 3 27B?

The recommended quantization for Gemma 3 27B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

Can it run?

Yes, NVIDIA V100 32GB can run Gemma 3 27B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 39.3 tok/s.

CUsable

Runs well

Using Q4_K_M in Ollama

Capabilities:

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

39.3 tok/s

TTFT

4921 ms

Safe context

20K

Memory

25.1 GB / 32.0 GB

Weights16.5 GB

KV Cache4.2 GB

Runtime1.2 GB

Headroom3.2 GB

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Agentic Coding	C	Tight fit	36.6 tok/s	7691 ms	35K
Chat	C	Runs well	36.6 tok/s	2884 ms	11K
Coding	C	Runs well	39.3 tok/s	4921 ms	20K
RAG	C	Tight fit	36.6 tok/s	9614 ms	35K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	36.6 tok/s	6249 ms	20K

How Gemma 3 27B (27B params) fits at each quantization level on NVIDIA V100 32GB (32.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	10.5 GB	Low	D36
Q3_K_S	3	13.2 GB	Low	D38
NVFP4	4

Ollama

ollama run gemma-3-27b

HuggingFace

huggingface-cli download gemma-3-27b

Upgrade options

NVIDIA A100 40GBBudget pick

B79.3 tok/s decode

~$10,000 MSRP