Can RTX 4070 SUPER run Whisper Small?

Yes — runs locally

~132 tok/sec · Instant — feels like typing. No noticeable delay.

Your VRAM

12 GB

Model size

0.24B

Best quant

Q8_0

VRAM needed

0.9 GB

The verdict

The RTX 4070 SUPER (12 GB VRAM) handles Whisper Small comfortably using the Q8_0 quantization, which fits in 0.9 GB. Expected throughput is around 132 tokens/second, which feels Instant — feels like typing. No noticeable delay. in interactive use. Compact Whisper model. Good accuracy for everyday transcription tasks.

How to run it

1. Install Ollama or LM Studio.
2. Pull the Q8_0 GGUF — best balance of quality and speed on 12 GB.
3. Start chatting. Expect ~132 tok/sec on first-token, faster after warmup.

See full Whisper Small setup →

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FAQ (20)

What GPU do I need to run Whisper Small?

To run Whisper Small, you need a GPU with at least 0.9 GB of VRAM. NVIDIA GPUs like the GTX 1050 Ti or better are recommended.

Is Whisper Small good for coding?

Whisper Small is primarily designed for speech-to-text tasks and may not be suitable for coding-specific tasks. For coding, consider models specifically trained on code datasets.

Whisper Small vs Llama 3.1 8B?

Whisper Small has 0.24 billion parameters and is optimized for speech-to-text, while Llama 3.1 8B has 8 billion parameters and is more versatile for general NLP tasks.

Can I run Whisper Small on a Mac?

Yes, you can run Whisper Small on a Mac with an M1 or later chip, which provides sufficient computational power and VRAM.

How much VRAM does Whisper Small need?

Whisper Small requires 0.9 GB of VRAM, which is consistent across different quantization levels.

Is Whisper Small censored?

Whisper Small is not inherently censored, but it adheres to the MIT license, which allows for open use and modification.

Is Whisper Small commercial-use allowed?

Yes, Whisper Small is released under the MIT license, which permits commercial use without restriction.

Whisper Small context length?

The context length for Whisper Small is not explicitly specified, but it generally handles sequences of up to several minutes of audio effectively.

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