How much VRAM does gemma 2b need?

gemma 2b (2B parameters) requires approximately 4.3 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for gemma 2b?

The recommended quantization for gemma 2b is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

Can it run?

Yes, GTX 1080 Ti 11GB can run gemma 2b with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 285.6 tok/s.

CUsable

Runs well

Using Q4_K_M in Ollama

Capabilities:

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

285.6 tok/s

TTFT

678 ms

Safe context

41K

Memory

4.3 GB / 11.0 GB

Weights1.2 GB

KV Cache0.8 GB

Runtime1.2 GB

Headroom1.1 GB

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Agentic Coding	C	Runs well	234.1 tok/s	1203 ms	81K
Chat	C	Runs well	234.1 tok/s	451 ms	20K
Coding	C	Runs well	285.6 tok/s	678 ms	41K
RAG	C	Runs well	234.1 tok/s	1504 ms	81K
Reasoning	C	Runs well	234.1 tok/s	978 ms	41K

How gemma 2b (2B params) fits at each quantization level on GTX 1080 Ti 11GB (11.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	0.8 GB	Low	D31
Q3_K_S	3	1.0 GB	Low	D31
NVFP4	4

Upgrade options

MacBook Pro M1 Pro 16GBBudget pick

C106.6 tok/s decode

~$1,999 MSRP

MacBook Pro M2 Pro 16GBBest value

C114.8 tok/s decode

~$1,999 MSRP