Can RTX 3090 run Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?

Yes — runs locally

~0 tok/sec · Cannot run — insufficient VRAM

Your VRAM

24 GB

Model size

70B

Best quant

Q4_K_M

VRAM needed

40.1 GB

The verdict

The RTX 3090 (24 GB VRAM) handles Llama 3.1 70B Instruct comfortably using the Q4_K_M quantization, which fits in 40.1 GB. Expected throughput is around 0 tokens/second, which feels Cannot run — insufficient VRAM in interactive use. Meta's flagship 70B parameter model. Excellent performance rivaling GPT-4 on many benchmarks.

How to run it

1. Install Ollama or LM Studio.
2. Pull the Q4_K_M GGUF — best balance of quality and speed on 24 GB.
3. Start chatting. Expect ~0 tok/sec on first-token, faster after warmup.

See full Llama 3.1 70B Instruct setup →

Other models that run great on RTX 3090

FAQ (20)

What GPU do I need to run Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?

To run Llama 3.1 70B Instruct, you need a GPU with at least 40.1 GB of VRAM. Higher VRAM (up to 142.0 GB) is required for full precision or lower quantization levels.

Is Llama 3.1 70B Instruct good for coding?

Yes, Llama 3.1 70B Instruct performs well in coding tasks, often rivaling GPT-4 in code generation and understanding complex programming concepts.

Llama 3.1 70B Instruct vs Llama 3.1 8B?

Llama 3.1 70B Instruct offers significantly better performance and more nuanced responses compared to Llama 3.1 8B, but requires much more VRAM and computational resources.

Can I run Llama 3.1 70B Instruct on a Mac?

Yes, you can run Llama 3.1 70B Instruct on a Mac with a compatible GPU, such as an AMD Radeon Pro or NVIDIA GPU, provided it meets the VRAM requirements.

How much VRAM does Llama 3.1 70B Instruct need?

Llama 3.1 70B Instruct requires between 40.1 GB and 142.0 GB of VRAM, depending on the quantization level used.

Is Llama 3.1 70B Instruct censored?

Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is not inherently censored, but it may have content filters in place to prevent harmful or inappropriate content generation.

Is Llama 3.1 70B Instruct commercial-use allowed?

Yes, Llama 3.1 70B Instruct can be used commercially under the terms of its license, which allows for both research and commercial applications.

Llama 3.1 70B Instruct context length?

Llama 3.1 70B Instruct has a context length of 131,072 tokens, allowing it to process very long sequences of text.

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