RTX 3050 8GBBudget pick8 GB VRAM (+2)
B
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.42 tok/s decode
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$249 MSRP
SmolLM3 3B needs ~5.6 GB VRAM. GTX 1660 Super 6GB has 6.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~42 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
Tight fit
Decode
42.0 tok/s
TTFT
4610 ms
Safe context
19K
Memory
5.6 GB / 6.0 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.
Older PCIe generation
PCIe 3.0 is workable, but it compounds the penalty when you offload heavily or try to scale across multiple cards.
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 | B | Runs well | 42.0 tok/s | 2514 ms | 19K |
| Coding | B | Tight fit | 42.0 tok/s | 4610 ms | 19K |
| Agentic Coding | F | Too heavy | 42.0 tok/s | 6705 ms | 19K |
| Reasoning | B | Tight fit | 42.0 tok/s | 5448 ms | 19K |
| RAG | F | Too heavy | 42.0 tok/s | 8381 ms | 19K |
How SmolLM3 3B (3B params) fits at each quantization level on GTX 1660 Super 6GB (6.0 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 1.2 GB | Low | B61 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 1.5 GB | Low | B62 |
NVFP4 | 4 |
Copy-paste commands to run SmolLM3 3B on your machine.
Run
lms load SmolLM3-3B && lms server startUpgrade options
RTX 3050 8GBBudget pickAdds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$249 MSRP
RTX 4060 8GBBest valueAdds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$299 MSRP
RTX 5060 8GBNVIDIA upgradeAdds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$299 MSRP
Yes, GTX 1660 Super 6GB can run SmolLM3 3B with a B grade (Tight fit). Expected decode speed: 42.0 tok/s.
SmolLM3 3B (3B parameters) requires approximately 5.6 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.
The recommended quantization for SmolLM3 3B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.
On GTX 1660 Super 6GB, SmolLM3 3B achieves approximately 42.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 4610ms using Q4_K_M quantization.
For coding workloads, SmolLM3 3B on GTX 1660 Super 6GB receives a B grade with 42.0 tok/s and 19K context.
On GTX 1660 Super 6GB, SmolLM3 3B can safely use up to 19K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 128K, 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/smollm3-3b-on-gtx-1660-super-6gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>
Preview:
| Medium |
| B62 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 1.8 GB | Medium | B63 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 2.2 GB | High | B62 |
Q6_K | 6 | 2.5 GB | High | B62 |
Q8_0Best for your GPU | 8 | 3.2 GB | Very High | B62 |
F16 | 16 | 6.1 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.