Compatibility check
Can you run Gemma 2 9B Instruct on the NVIDIA L40S?
Yes. Gemma 2 9B Instruct fits on the NVIDIA L40S (48 GB) in full FP16/BF16 precision, using about 22.6 GB including a 1.3 GB KV cache at 4,096 tokens. You have comfortable headroom for longer prompts and modest batching.
Memory breakdown
Weights plus a 1.3 GB KV cache at 4,096tokens, against the card's 48 GB. Verdicts leave ~10% headroom for activations and fragmentation.
| Precision | Weights | KV cache | Total | % of 48 GB | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 / BF16full quality | 21.3 GB | 1.3 GB | 22.6 GB | 47% | Fits |
| INT8 (8-bit)near-full quality | 10.6 GB | 1.3 GB | 11.9 GB | 25% | Fits |
| INT4 (4-bit)GPTQ / AWQ / GGUF Q4 | 5.3 GB | 1.3 GB | 6.6 GB | 14% | Fits |
Planning estimates, not a substitute for profiling. Real usage varies with the inference runtime, batch size, and how much context you actually use — the KV cache grows linearly with prompt length.
GPUs that run Gemma 2 9B Instruct
Cards where this model fits (at its best precision):
Models that fit the NVIDIA L40S
Other popular models that run on this card:
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Frequently asked questions
Can the NVIDIA L40S run Gemma 2 9B Instruct?
Yes. In FP16 it uses about 22.6 GB, which fits the NVIDIA L40S's 48 GB.
How much VRAM does Gemma 2 9B Instruct need?
Approximately 21.3 GB in FP16, 10.6 GB in INT8, and 5.3 GB in 4-bit for the weights, plus a KV cache of about 1.3 GB at 4,096 tokens.
Does quantization let Gemma 2 9B Instruct fit on the NVIDIA L40S?
Yes. Dropping to FP16 / BF16 brings total usage to about 22.6 GB, which fits the 48 GB card with headroom for the KV cache.
What happens to memory with longer context?
The KV cache grows linearly with prompt length. At 4,096 tokens it is about 1.3 GB here; doubling the context roughly doubles that term, so long-context use can push a tight fit over the edge.