Compatibility check
Can you run Qwen3 14B on the RTX 5080?
Yes, with quantization. Qwen3 14B does not fit the RTX 5080 (16 GB) in FP16, but it runs at INT4 (4-bit) using about 9.1 GB (57% of VRAM). Use a GPTQ, AWQ, or GGUF build to get there, and keep prompts moderate to leave room for the KV cache.
Memory breakdown
Weights plus a 0.6 GB KV cache at 4,096tokens, against the card's 16 GB. Verdicts leave ~10% headroom for activations and fragmentation.
| Precision | Weights | KV cache | Total | % of 16 GB | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP16 / BF16full quality | 34 GB | 0.6 GB | 34.6 GB | 216% | No |
| INT8 (8-bit)near-full quality | 17 GB | 0.6 GB | 17.6 GB | 110% | No |
| INT4 (4-bit)GPTQ / AWQ / GGUF Q4 | 8.5 GB | 0.6 GB | 9.1 GB | 57% | 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 Qwen3 14B
Cards where this model fits (at its best precision):
Models that fit the RTX 5080
Other popular models that run on this card:
Go deeper
Frequently asked questions
Can the RTX 5080 run Qwen3 14B?
Not in FP16, but yes at INT4 (4-bit), where it uses about 9.1 GB versus the card's 16 GB.
How much VRAM does Qwen3 14B need?
Approximately 34 GB in FP16, 17 GB in INT8, and 8.5 GB in 4-bit for the weights, plus a KV cache of about 0.6 GB at 4,096 tokens.
Does quantization let Qwen3 14B fit on the RTX 5080?
Yes. Dropping to INT4 (4-bit) brings total usage to about 9.1 GB, which fits the 16 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 0.6 GB here; doubling the context roughly doubles that term, so long-context use can push a tight fit over the edge.