Is 4GB of VRAM enough to run AI models locally?

Yes — 68 of the 228 models tested run entirely on the GPU with 4GB at 4K context, and 126 more run with part of the model offloaded to system RAM. The heaviest that fits is granite4.2:3b, needing about 3.4 GB.

What is the best AI model for 4GB VRAM?

For maximum capability, granite4.2 (granite4.2:3b) is the heaviest build that still fits entirely in 4GB. Smaller models leave headroom for a longer context window, which often matters more than raw parameter count.

Which graphics cards have 4GB of VRAM?

Several cards ship with 4GB of VRAM across NVIDIA and AMD ranges.

What AI models can you run with 4GB of VRAM?

With 4GB of VRAM, 68 of 228 models from the Ollama library run entirely on the GPU at 4K context. 126 more run by offloading part of the model to system RAM, which works but is slower.

run well

126

with trade-offs

228

models tested

Check my actual PC

Best AI models for 4GB of VRAM

Heaviest first — each of these fits entirely in 4GB at 4K context, counting weights, KV cache, compute buffers and runtime overhead.

Models that fit in 4GB of VRAM
Model	Build	Memory needed	Verdict
granite4.2	3B	~3.4 GB	Good fit
cogito	3B	~3.4 GB	Good fit
glm-ocr	latest	~3.3 GB	Good fit
granite-code	3B	~3.2 GB	Good fit
smallthinker	3B	~3.2 GB	Good fit
granite4	3B	~3.2 GB	Good fit
granite4.1	3B	~3.2 GB	Good fit
hermes3	3B	~3.1 GB	Good fit
qwen3.5	2B	~3.0 GB	Good fit
qwen3-vl	2B	~2.9 GB	Good fit
starcoder2	3B	~2.9 GB	Good fit
dolphin-phi	2.7B	~2.8 GB	Good fit
phi	2.7B	~2.8 GB	Good fit
stablelm-zephyr	3B	~2.7 GB	Excellent fit
stable-code	3B	~2.7 GB	Excellent fit
shieldgemma	2B	~2.7 GB	Excellent fit
gemma2	2B	~2.7 GB	Excellent fit
exaone-deep	2.4B	~2.6 GB	Excellent fit
exaone3.5	2.4B	~2.6 GB	Excellent fit
gemma	2B	~2.6 GB	Excellent fit
codegemma	2B	~2.6 GB	Excellent fit
granite3-dense	2B	~2.5 GB	Excellent fit
granite3.1-dense	2B	~2.5 GB	Excellent fit
granite3.3	2B	~2.5 GB	Excellent fit
granite3.2	2B	~2.5 GB	Excellent fit

How this was calculated

Every model is evaluated at 4K context against 4GB of VRAM, minus a reserve for the display and operating system, and assuming 32GB of system RAM with working GPU drivers. Your own machine may differ, which is what the PC scan measures directly.

4GB VRAM and local AI — frequently asked questions

Is 4GB of VRAM enough to run AI models locally?: Yes — 68 of the 228 models tested run entirely on the GPU with 4GB at 4K context, and 126 more run with part of the model offloaded to system RAM. The heaviest that fits is granite4.2:3b, needing about 3.4 GB.
What is the best AI model for 4GB VRAM?: For maximum capability, granite4.2 (granite4.2:3b) is the heaviest build that still fits entirely in 4GB. Smaller models leave headroom for a longer context window, which often matters more than raw parameter count.
Which graphics cards have 4GB of VRAM?: Several cards ship with 4GB of VRAM across NVIDIA and AMD ranges.

Other VRAM amounts

6GB 8GB 10GB 12GB 16GB 24GB 32GB