RTX 3060 12GBBudget pick12 GB VRAM (+4)360 GB/s (+136)
C
Raises estimated decode speed by about 26%.48.7 tok/s decode
Raises estimated decode speed by about 26%.
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$329 MSRP
dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b needs ~7.8 GB VRAM. RTX 5050 8GB has 8.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~39 tok/s.
Operating mode
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.
Select quantization to explore
Fit status
Runs with offload
Decode
38.6 tok/s
TTFT
5021 ms
Safe context
19K
Memory
7.8 GB / 8.0 GB
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.
Buy headroom, not only minimum fit
A slightly larger memory tier gives you safer context growth and makes the recommendation more future-proof.
| Workload | Grade | Fit | Decode | TTFT | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chat | C | Tight fit | 38.6 tok/s | 2739 ms | 19K |
| Coding | C | Runs with offload | 38.6 tok/s | 5021 ms | 19K |
| Agentic Coding | D | Very compromised (needs ~0.4 GB host RAM) | 24.5 tok/s | 11480 ms | 19K |
| Reasoning | C | Runs with offload | 38.6 tok/s | 5934 ms | 19K |
| RAG | D | Very compromised (needs ~0.4 GB host RAM) | 24.5 tok/s | 14350 ms |
How dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b (8B params) fits at each quantization level on RTX 5050 8GB (8.0 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 3.1 GB | Low | C54 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 3.9 GB | Low | C53 |
NVFP4 | 4 |
Copy-paste commands to run dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b on your machine.
Run
lms load hf-bartowski--dolphin-2-9-4-llama3-1-8b-gguf && lms server startUpgrade options
RTX 3060 12GBBudget pickRaises estimated decode speed by about 26%.
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$329 MSRP
RTX 5060 Ti 16GBBest valueRaises estimated decode speed by about 47%.
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$449 MSRP
RTX 5070 12GBNVIDIA upgradeRaises estimated decode speed by about 125%.
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$549 MSRP
Yes, RTX 5050 8GB can run dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b with a C grade (Runs with offload). Expected decode speed: 38.6 tok/s.
dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b (8B parameters) requires approximately 7.8 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.
The recommended quantization for dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.
On RTX 5050 8GB, dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b achieves approximately 38.6 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 5021ms using Q4_K_M quantization.
For coding workloads, dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b on RTX 5050 8GB receives a C grade with 38.6 tok/s and 19K context.
On RTX 5050 8GB, dolphin 2.9.4 llama3.1 8b can safely use up to 19K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.
Paste this snippet into any page to show a live fit card.
<iframe src="https://willitrunai.com/embed/hf-bartowski--dolphin-2-9-4-llama3-1-8b-gguf-on-rtx-5050-8gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>
Preview:
| 19K |
| Medium |
| C53 |
Q4_K_MBest for your GPU | 4 | 4.9 GB | Medium | C53 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 5.8 GB | High | F0 |
Q6_K | 6 | 6.6 GB | High | F0 |
Q8_0 | 8 | 8.6 GB | Very High | F0 |
F16 | 16 | 16.4 GB | Maximum | F0 |
Buy headroom, not only minimum fit. A slightly larger memory tier gives you safer context growth and makes the recommendation more future-proof.