Can Gemma 2 27B run on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if Gemma 2 27B feels slow on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB?

Buy headroom, not only minimum fit. A slightly larger memory tier gives you safer context growth and makes the recommendation more future-proof.

YES — With Offload

B70Good

Estimated from fit model

Gemma 2 27B needs ~31.8 GB VRAM. AMD Instinct MI100 32GB has 32.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~30 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: OffloadBandwidth: HighStack: StandardBottleneck: Balanced

Operating mode

Choose the run profile you care about

Interactive favors responsiveness, while light API and scale-out lean harder on serving readiness. The fit stays the same, but the recommendation lens changes.

Current mode

Balanced

Balanced for general local use. Keeps the ranking neutral across personal and serving workflows.

Capabilities:

Select quantization to explore

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 31.8 GB, 31.6 tok/s, Runs with offload

31.8 GB required32.0 GB available

99% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs with offload

Decode

31.6 tok/s

TTFT

6122 ms

Safe context

Memory

31.8 GB / 32.0 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights16.5 GB

KV Cache11.2 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom3.2 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsGemma 2 27B on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Solve: If a train travels at 60 mph for 2.5 hours, how far does it go?
Let me work through this step by step.

Given information:
  - Speed = 60 mph (miles per hour)
  - Time  = 2.5 hours

Formula: Distance = Speed x Time

Calculation:
  Distance = 60 mph x 2.5 h
           = 150 miles

The train travels 150 miles.

Double-check: at 60 mph the train covers 60 miles each hour. In half an hour it covers 30 miles. So in 2.5 hours: 60 + 60 + 30 = 150 miles. Confirmed.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>What if the train stops for 20 minutes halfway?
The stop doesn't change the total distance covered while moving, but it affects total trip time.

Breakdown:
  - First half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles
  - Stop: 20 minutes (no distance)
  - Second half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles

Total distance: 150 miles (same)
Total time: 2.5 h + 0.33 h = 2.83 hours
Average speed: 150 / 2.83 = 53 mph

The distance stays the same but average speed drops to 53 mph because of the stop.
Estimated: 31.6 tok/s decode · 6.1s TTFT (warm) · 79 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

This setup is broadly balanced for this model.

Very little memory headroom

You can run the model, but there is not much room left for longer context, bigger batches, extra apps, or future model updates.

Best improvement path

Buy headroom, not only minimum fit

A slightly larger memory tier gives you safer context growth and makes the recommendation more future-proof.

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	A	Runs well	31.6 tok/s	3339 ms	8K
Coding	B	Runs with offload	30.1 tok/s	6428 ms	8K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	12.7 tok/s	22148 ms	8K
Reasoning	A	Runs with offload	31.6 tok/s	7235 ms	8K
RAG	F	Too heavy	12.7 tok/s	27685 ms	8K

Quantization options

How Gemma 2 27B (27B params) fits at each quantization level on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB (32.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	10.5 GB	Low	B66
Q3_K_S	3	13.2 GB	Low	B67
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run Gemma 2 27B on your machine.

Run

ollama run gemma2:27b

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs Gemma 2 27B well

Radeon Pro W7900 48GBBudget pick

48 GB VRAM (+16)

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.23.2 tok/s decode

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.

~$3,999 MSRP

Radeon PRO W7900 DS 48GBBest value

48 GB VRAM (+16)

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.23.2 tok/s decode

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.

~$3,999 MSRP

AMD Instinct MI210 64GBAMD upgrade

64 GB VRAM (+32)1638 GB/s (+410)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 40%.44.1 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 40%.

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.

~$10,000 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can AMD Instinct MI100 32GB run Gemma 2 27B?

Yes, AMD Instinct MI100 32GB can run Gemma 2 27B with a B grade (Runs with offload). Expected decode speed: 30.1 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Gemma 2 27B need?

Gemma 2 27B (27B parameters) requires approximately 31.8 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Gemma 2 27B?

The recommended quantization for Gemma 2 27B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Gemma 2 27B run at on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB?

On AMD Instinct MI100 32GB, Gemma 2 27B achieves approximately 30.1 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 6428ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can AMD Instinct MI100 32GB run Gemma 2 27B for coding?

For coding workloads, Gemma 2 27B on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB receives a B grade with 30.1 tok/s and 8K context.

What context window can Gemma 2 27B use on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB?

On AMD Instinct MI100 32GB, Gemma 2 27B can safely use up to 8K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 8K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if Gemma 2 27B feels slow on AMD Instinct MI100 32GB?

See all results for AMD Instinct MI100 32GB See all hardware for Gemma 2 27B

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