Can you run Gemma 4 12B (Q8) on RTX 4060 Ti?

Gemma 4 12B (Q8) Q8_0 on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti: verdict, VRAM math and estimated speed.

Yes, it runs
Quick answer

Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti runs Gemma 4 12B (Q8). 12.8 GB weights at Q8_0 vs 14.4 GB usable VRAM; ~15 tok/s est. (ModelFit, 2026).

$ollama run gemma4:12b-it-q8_0
VERDICT
Fits
EST. SPEED
~15 tok/s
WEIGHTS
12.8 GB Q8_0

VRAM math and speed are ModelFit engine estimates, not measurements. Commands are registry-verified Ollama tags.

Cite this page: ModelFit, Gemma 4 12B (Q8) on RTX 4060 Ti, https://modelfit.io/can-i-run/gemma4-12b-q8-on-rtx-4060-ti/, updated September 2026, CC BY 4.0.

Last updated: September 24, 2026 · Editor: ModelFit Team

VRAM
16 GB (14.4 usable)
Model weights
12.8 GB Q8_0
Est. speed
~15 tok/s
First token
~0.6s
Fit grade
B · 11

What limits this combo

The four constraints the fit engine checks for Gemma 4 12B (Q8) on the RTX 4060 Ti, in order of what usually breaks first.

Weights fitOK12.8 GB of weights against 14.4 GB usable, leaving 1.6 GB of headroom for context and the runtime.
Context ceilingTightContext fits up to 8k tokens; the next tier tips the total over 14.4 GB. Long documents and RAG prompts are what hit this wall first.
SpeedTight~15 tok/s (est.): fine for chat, below the ~30 tok/s that agentic coding loops need to feel responsive.
Use-case ceilingTightStrongest fit: Chat (C). Agentic coding caps at D, either the speed floor or the model's tuning is the limit; see the workload table for the per-case reason.

Where the RTX 4060 Ti sits for Gemma 4 12B (Q8)

The RTX 4060 Ti is the cheapest tracked card that runs Gemma 4 12B (Q8) fully in VRAM (~15 tok/s est.). Every cheaper card in the table forces partial offload. The next step up, the RTX 3090, reaches ~38 tok/s est. with a 32k context ceiling.

CardVRAMUsableVerdictEst. speedMax context
RTX 40608 GB7.2 GBNo~1 tok/snone
RTX 306012 GB10.8 GBTight~4 tok/snone
RTX 407012 GB10.8 GBTight~5 tok/snone
RTX 4060 Ti (this card)16 GB14.4 GBYes~15 tok/s8k
RTX 5070 Ti16 GB14.4 GBYes~38 tok/s8k
RTX 4070 Ti SUPER16 GB14.4 GBYes~32 tok/s8k
RTX 508016 GB14.4 GBYes~41 tok/s8k
RTX 309024 GB21.6 GBYes~38 tok/s32k
RTX 409024 GB21.6 GBYes~46 tok/s32k
RTX 509032 GB28.8 GBYes~64 tok/s64k

Same engine as the verdict above: 90% of VRAM usable, KV-cache at fp16, bandwidth-derived tok/s. Verdicts of the other cards are computed for Gemma 4 12B (Q8) Q8_0 exactly.

Quant explorer

Switch between the quality-gated builds tracked for this exact combo. Q4_K_M stays the default recommendation; heavier Q6/Q8 builds only appear when their exact Ollama tags are registry-verified.

ModelFit engine estimate
Verdict
Runs
Est. speed
~15 tok/s
First token
~0.6s · Instant
Safe context
8k
B · 11 Comfortable fit

Why no 2-bit builds: Q1/Q2-class quants can look attractive in a memory table, but their quality loss is large enough that ModelFit excludes them from rankings instead of inflating the catalog with junk options. Usable VRAM: 14.4 GB.

Workload verdicts

Gemma 4 12B (Q8) on the RTX 4060 Ti, graded per use case from the model's registry-verified tuning and the engine's speed estimate for this exact combo.

ModelFit engine estimate
ChatC~15 tok/s est. vs ~20 needed for chat.
CodingC~15 tok/s est. vs ~15 needed for coding.
Agentic codingD~15 tok/s est. vs ~30 needed for agentic coding; not tuned for tool-calling loops.
ReasoningC~15 tok/s est. vs ~12 needed for reasoning; not a reasoning-tuned model.
RAGC~15 tok/s est. vs ~20 needed for rag; 32k context does not fit.

Grades combine tag-verified tuning (a model not built for the workload caps at C) with the tok/s floor each workload needs to feel usable. A combo that partially offloads caps at C; one that does not fit is D everywhere.

Memory math: weights + context vs budget

Weights take 12.8 GB. Context costs extra KV-cache on top; this is where long-context sessions break on cards that technically fit the weights.

Weights 13 GBKV cache · 16k context 3.0 GBRuntime reserve 1.6 GB

This configuration exceeds the comfortable VRAM budget by about 1.4 GB. Expect offload pressure or a shorter safe context.

ContextKV-cacheTotalFits
8k tokens1.5 GB14.3 GBFits
16k tokens3.0 GB15.8 GBOver
32k tokens6.0 GB18.8 GBOver
64k tokens12.0 GB24.8 GBOver
128k tokens24.0 GB36.8 GBOver

KV-cache figures assume an fp16 cache, the llama.cpp/Ollama default. Standard GQA models use a size-class estimate (8 KV heads x 128 head dim class); hybrid linear-attention models (Qwen3.5/3.6, Qwen3-Next) use the exact per-token cost from their published config, since only their sparse full-attention layers cache KV. A q8_0 KV cache roughly halves either figure. Estimates, not measurements.

See how fast it feels

A deterministic typing simulation for Gemma 4 12B (Q8): first token ~0.6s (instant prefill), then ~15 tokens/sec.

Start the simulation to preview the response pace.

ModelFit engine estimate, not a measured benchmark. Real speed varies with prompt length, thermals, runtime, and KV-cache settings.

Gemma 4 12B (Q8) on RTX 4060 Ti: FAQ

Can the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti run Gemma 4 12B (Q8)?

Yes. Gemma 4 12B (Q8) (Q8_0) loads in about 12.8 GB and the RTX 4060 Ti offers 14.4 GB of usable VRAM, leaving headroom for context. Expect at roughly 15 tokens/sec (est.).

How much VRAM does Gemma 4 12B (Q8) need?

About 12.8 GB for the weights at Q8_0, plus KV-cache for context: roughly 3.0 GB extra at 16k tokens. The RTX 4060 Ti budget is 14.4 GB (16 GB x 90%).

What is the best quantization of Gemma 4 12B (Q8) for the RTX 4060 Ti?

The Q4_K_M build is the highest quality that fits (8 GB vs 14.4 GB usable). The Q8_0 build at 12.8 GB leaves more room for long context.

What GPU do I need to run Gemma 4 12B (Q8) comfortably?

The RTX 4060 Ti already runs Gemma 4 12B (Q8) comfortably. Larger cards only buy you longer context or a heavier quant.

How much context can Gemma 4 12B (Q8) use on the RTX 4060 Ti?

Up to 8k tokens stay fully in VRAM (14.3 GB total with the KV cache). At 16k tokens the total reaches 15.8 GB and tips over the budget. Quantizing the KV cache to q8_0 roughly halves the KV column and buys back about one context tier.

Is Gemma 4 12B (Q8) on the RTX 4060 Ti fast enough for coding agents?

No: the engine estimates ~15 tok/s against the ~30 tok/s an agentic loop needs to feel responsive. Chat will feel fine, but multi-step agent runs will drag; a smaller model or a bigger card is the fix.