Can Granite Code 3B run on GTX 1650 4GB?

NO — Won't Fit

F0Won't run

Estimated from fit model

Granite Code 3B needs ~5.9 GB but GTX 1650 4GB only has 4.0 GB. Try a smaller quantization or lighter model.

Runtime: OllamaCapacity: No fitBandwidth: Very lowStack: BasicBottleneck: Memory capacity

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) — 5.9 GB, exceeds 4.0 GB available

5.9 GB required4.0 GB available

148% VRAM needed

1.9 GB over capacity — needs offload or smaller quantization

Fit status

Too heavy

Decode

10.9 tok/s

TTFT

17831 ms

Safe context

Memory

5.9 GB / 4.0 GB

Offload

30%

Memory breakdown

Weights1.8 GB

KV Cache2.5 GB

Runtime1.2 GB

Headroom0.4 GB

See how fast it feels

With memory offload — actual speed may be lower

See how fast it feelsGranite Code 3B on GTX 1650 4GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Write a Python function to sort a list
Here's a Python function that sorts a list using quicksort:

def quicksort(arr):
    if len(arr) <= 1:
        return arr
    pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
    left   = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
    middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
    right  = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
    return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

# Example usage
numbers = [3, 6, 8, 10, 1, 2, 1]
print(quicksort(numbers))  # [1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10]

The algorithm picks a pivot, partitions the list into smaller, equal, and larger elements, then recursively sorts each partition and concatenates the results.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>Now add type hints and a docstring
def quicksort(arr: list[int]) -> list[int]:
    """Sort a list using the quicksort algorithm.

    Args:
        arr: List of integers to sort.

    Returns:
        A new sorted list.
    """
    if len(arr) <= 1:
        return arr
    pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
    left   = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
    middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
    right  = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
    return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

Added type hints for the input and return type, plus a Google-style docstring.
Estimated: 10.9 tok/s decode · 17.8s TTFT (warm) · 27 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

Usable VRAM is the main blocker for this model.

Not enough usable memory

The model needs 5.9 GB, but this setup only exposes 4.0 GB of usable VRAM.

Older PCIe generation

PCIe 3.0 is workable, but it compounds the penalty when you offload heavily or try to scale across multiple cards.

Best improvement path

Add more VRAM headroom

The first useful upgrade is more dedicated VRAM so you can fit the model without shrinking context or dropping to a much lower quant.

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	C	Very compromised (needs ~0.3 GB host RAM)	18.2 tok/s	5805 ms	4K
Coding	F	Too heavy	10.9 tok/s	17831 ms	4K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	5.2 tok/s	53680 ms	4K
Reasoning	F	Too heavy	10.9 tok/s	21073 ms	4K
RAG	F	Too heavy	5.2 tok/s	67100 ms	4K

Inference speed

Granite Code 3B inference speed — tokens per second by GPU & Mac

Estimated decode speed (tokens/sec) for Granite Code 3B at Q4_K_M across popular GPUs and Apple Silicon, using the fastest local runtime per device. Fastest is RTX 5090 32GB at ~57 tok/s. Speed is memory-bandwidth bound, so cards that fit the whole model in VRAM run far faster than ones that offload to system RAM.

GPU / Mac	Memory	Quant	Speed (tok/s)	Fits?
RTX 5090 32GB	32 GB	Q4_K_M	57.0	Fits
RTX 4090 24GB	24 GB	Q4_K_M	48.0	Fits
RTX 4080 Super 16GB	16 GB	Q4_K_M	48.0	Fits
RTX 4060 8GB	8 GB	Q4_K_M	48.0	Fits
RTX 3090 24GB	24 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
RTX 4070 12GB	12 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
RTX 3060 12GB	12 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
RX 7900 XTX 24GB	24 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB	128 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB	256 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
Mac Studio M2 Ultra 128GB	128 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
Mac Studio M1 Ultra 128GB	128 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
MacBook Pro M4 Max 64GB	64 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB	64 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
MacBook Pro M1 Max 64GB	64 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits
MacBook Pro M4 Pro 48GB	48 GB	Q4_K_M	42.0	Fits

Estimates for single-stream decoding at Q4_K_M; real tokens/sec varies with prompt length, context, batch size, and runtime build. Prompt processing (prefill) is faster than the decode figures shown here.

Quantization options

How Granite Code 3B (3B params) fits at each quantization level on GTX 1650 4GB (4.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	1.2 GB	Low	A72
Q3_K_S	3	1.5 GB	Low	A71
NVFP4	4	1.7 GB	Medium	A71
Q4_K_MBest for your GPU	4	1.8 GB	Medium	A71
Q5_K_M	5	2.2 GB	High	F0
Q6_K	6	2.5 GB	High	F0
Q8_0	8	3.2 GB	Very High	F0
F16	16	6.1 GB	Maximum	F0

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs Granite Code 3B well

GTX 1660 Super 6GBBudget pick

6 GB VRAM (+2)336 GB/s (+208)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.42 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

~$229 MSRP

RTX 3050 8GBBest value

8 GB VRAM (+4)224 GB/s (+96)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.42 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

~$249 MSRP

GTX 1060 6GBNVIDIA upgrade

6 GB VRAM (+2)192 GB/s (+64)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.42 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

~$249 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can GTX 1650 4GB run Granite Code 3B?

No, Granite Code 3B requires more memory than GTX 1650 4GB provides.

How much VRAM does Granite Code 3B need?

Granite Code 3B (3B parameters) requires approximately 5.9 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Granite Code 3B?

The recommended quantization for Granite Code 3B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Granite Code 3B run at on GTX 1650 4GB?

On GTX 1650 4GB, Granite Code 3B achieves approximately 10.9 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 17831ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can GTX 1650 4GB run Granite Code 3B for coding?

For coding workloads, Granite Code 3B on GTX 1650 4GB receives a F grade with 10.9 tok/s and 4K context.

What context window can Granite Code 3B use on GTX 1650 4GB?

On GTX 1650 4GB, Granite Code 3B can safely use up to 4K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 8K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if Granite Code 3B feels slow on GTX 1650 4GB?

Add more VRAM headroom. The first useful upgrade is more dedicated VRAM so you can fit the model without shrinking context or dropping to a much lower quant.

See all results for GTX 1650 4GB See all hardware for Granite Code 3B

Embed this result▼

Paste this snippet into any page to show a live fit card.

<iframe src="https://willitrunai.com/embed/granite-code-3b-on-gtx-1650-4gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>

Preview:

Workload

Grade

Fit

Decode

TTFT

Context

Chat

Very compromised (needs ~0.3 GB host RAM)

18.2 tok/s

5805 ms

Coding

Too heavy

10.9 tok/s

17831 ms

Agentic Coding

Too heavy

5.2 tok/s

53680 ms

Reasoning

Too heavy

10.9 tok/s

21073 ms

RAG

Too heavy

5.2 tok/s

67100 ms

Granite Code 3B inference speed — tokens per second by GPU & Mac

GPU / Mac

Memory

Quant

Speed (tok/s)

Fits?

RTX 5090 32GB

32 GB

Q4_K_M

57.0

Fits

RTX 4090 24GB

24 GB

Q4_K_M

48.0

Fits

RTX 4080 Super 16GB

16 GB

Q4_K_M

48.0

Fits

RTX 4060 8GB

8 GB

Q4_K_M

48.0

Fits

RTX 3090 24GB

24 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

RTX 4070 12GB

12 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

RTX 3060 12GB

12 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

RX 7900 XTX 24GB

24 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

MacBook Pro M4 Max 128GB

128 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GB

256 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

Mac Studio M2 Ultra 128GB

128 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

Mac Studio M1 Ultra 128GB

128 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

MacBook Pro M4 Max 64GB

64 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

MacBook Pro M3 Max 64GB

64 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

MacBook Pro M1 Max 64GB

64 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

MacBook Pro M4 Pro 48GB

48 GB

Q4_K_M

42.0

Fits

Quant

Bits

VRAM

Quality

Fit

Q2_K

1.2 GB

Low

A72

Q3_K_S

1.5 GB

Low

A71

NVFP4

1.7 GB

Medium

A71

Q4_K_MBest for your GPU

1.8 GB

Medium

A71

Q5_K_M

2.2 GB

High

Q6_K

2.5 GB

High

Q8_0

3.2 GB

Very High

F16

6.1 GB

Maximum

Frequently asked questions

Can GTX 1650 4GB run Granite Code 3B?

No, Granite Code 3B requires more memory than GTX 1650 4GB provides.

How much VRAM does Granite Code 3B need?

Granite Code 3B (3B parameters) requires approximately 5.9 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Granite Code 3B?

The recommended quantization for Granite Code 3B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Granite Code 3B run at on GTX 1650 4GB?

On GTX 1650 4GB, Granite Code 3B achieves approximately 10.9 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 17831ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can GTX 1650 4GB run Granite Code 3B for coding?

For coding workloads, Granite Code 3B on GTX 1650 4GB receives a F grade with 10.9 tok/s and 4K context.

What context window can Granite Code 3B use on GTX 1650 4GB?

On GTX 1650 4GB, Granite Code 3B can safely use up to 4K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 8K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if Granite Code 3B feels slow on GTX 1650 4GB?

Add more VRAM headroom. The first useful upgrade is more dedicated VRAM so you can fit the model without shrinking context or dropping to a much lower quant.