Best hardware for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B
What runs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B well, from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 up: every tracked GPU and five current Macs graded with engine-estimated speeds and one clear answer per memory size.
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B on every tracked GPU
| GPU | Memory | Verdict | Est. speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 | 32 GB VRAM | Runs well | ~125 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell | 96 GB VRAM | Runs well | ~125 tok/s | |
| AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) | 110 GB unified memory | Runs well | ~26 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | 24 GB VRAM | Tight | ~68 tok/s | |
| AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 24 GB VRAM | Tight | ~58 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 | 24 GB VRAM | Tight | ~56 tok/s | |
| AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT | 20 GB VRAM | Tight | ~48 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | 16 GB VRAM | No | ~29 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | 16 GB VRAM | No | ~26 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER | 16 GB VRAM | No | ~24 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER | 16 GB VRAM | No | ~22 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | 12 GB VRAM | No | ~18 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER | 12 GB VRAM | No | ~17 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 | 12 GB VRAM | No | ~16 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti | 16 GB VRAM | No | ~15 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 | 12 GB VRAM | No | ~13 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti | 16 GB VRAM | No | ~10 tok/s | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | 8 GB VRAM | No | ~9 tok/s |
Speeds are engine estimates. Smallest tracked card that fits: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32 GB).
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B on current Macs (M5/M6)
| Mac | Memory | Verdict | Est. speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Mini M6 16GB | 16 GB unified memory | No | ~10 tok/s | |
| MacBook Air M5 24GB | 24 GB unified memory | No | ~14 tok/s | |
| MacBook Pro M5 Pro 48GB | 48 GB unified memory | Runs well | ~42 tok/s | |
| MacBook Pro M5 Max 128GB | 128 GB unified memory | Runs well | ~72 tok/s | |
| Mac Studio M5 Ultra 256GB | 256 GB unified memory | Runs well | ~105 tok/s |
Unified memory: the RAM budget (~70-85%) is the limit, not a VRAM wall. Current-gen configs only.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest GPU that runs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B well?
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32 GB) is the smallest tracked card where Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B (Q4_K_M) runs comfortably, with ~125 tok/s estimated.
Does Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B run on a Mac?
Yes. Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B runs from the MacBook Pro M5 Pro 48GB (~42 tok/s est.) up; unified memory means the RAM budget, not a VRAM wall, is the limit. Apple Silicon is often the cheapest path to large models.
What is the fastest way to run Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B?
The fastest tracked machine for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 at ~125 tok/s estimated. Speed is memory-bandwidth-bound, so high-bandwidth cards win.
Cite this page
ModelFit: Best hardware for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B (30B, Q4_K_M). https://modelfit.io/best-hardware-for/nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b/ (dataset updated 2026-10-13, CC BY 4.0).