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Can I run this LLM?

Can a Desktop CPU, DDR5 dual-channel (32GB) run Qwen3 8B?

Qwen · Apache 2.0 · estimated for a 32.0 GB machine at 4K context.

Yes, but it's tight.

Tight / slow

Best fit: Qwen3 8B at Q2_K · 3.3 GB weights · 7–11 tok/s on a Desktop CPU, DDR5 dual-channel (32GB).

Arena Text Overall · style-controlled

UnratedNo exact match

No reviewed exact Arena match

No reviewed exact model/configuration match in the Arena Text Overall style-controlled snapshot. No family or editorial score is substituted. Local quantization quality is unmeasured.

Snapshot published 2026-10-08 · snapshot imported 2026-10-11 UTC · validated last-good data · manual refresh

Arena leaderboard dataset · Arena / lmarena-ai, Arena Leaderboard Dataset (CC BY 4.0). Selected Text Overall style-controlled rows; field names adapted, ratings unchanged. · dataset CC BY 4.0 · revision e16f90232986

Total memory at 4K context
4.7 GB
Weights + KV cache + runtime overhead
Estimated generation
7–11 tok/s
Estimated first token
~103s

Every quantization on this machine

On small screens, each quant lists every metric below its name. On wider screens, scroll sideways for total memory, speed and fit. Keyboard: focus the table, then use the arrow keys. Quant names stay visible.

Qwen3 8B quantizations on Desktop CPU, DDR5 dual-channel (32GB), estimated at 4K context. Weights and total memory are shown separately.
QuantWeightsTotal memorySpeedFit
Q2_K3.3 GB4.7 GB7–11 tok/sTight / slow
Q3_K_M4.1 GB5.5 GB6–9 tok/sTight / slow
Q4_K_M5.0 GB6.4 GB5–8 tok/sTight / slow
Q5_K_M5.9 GB7.3 GB5–7 tok/sTight / slow
Q6_K6.7 GB8.1 GB4–6 tok/sTight / slow
Q8_08.7 GB10.1 GB3–5 tok/sTight / slow
FP1616.4 GB17.8 GB2–3 tok/sTight / slow
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