Illustrious XL
Stableby OnomaAIResearch
SDXL-based anime and illustration foundation model. Trained on a massive curated anime/illustration dataset. Spawned a huge derivative ecosystem on CivitAI with hundreds of fine-tunes.
VRAM requirements, GPU fit, and setup notes for Illustrious XL, including 8GB/12GB fit guidance where relevant. Recommended runtimes: ComfyUI, Automatic1111, and Diffusers support. Best download size: ~6.9 GB at FP16.
- SDXL-based anime/illustration foundation
- Massive CivitAI derivative ecosystem
- Full SDXL ControlNet and LoRA compatibility
- Strong Danbooru tag understanding
Your hardware
Detecting...
Image Quality Benchmarks
Measured quality metrics for Illustrious XL outputs.
How often humans prefer this model's output (0-100%)
Visual quality and composition rating (5-9 scale)
Text-image alignment accuracy (higher is better)
VRAM Requirements by Resolution and Precision
Compare which GPUs can run Illustrious XL at different precisions. FP8 uses less memory than FP16 when available, and the grade shows how comfortably each GPU handles the workload.
FP16 (full precision)
| Resolution | VRAM Required | RTX 4090 24GB | RTX 3060 12GB | RTX 4060 8GB | MacBook Pro M4 Pro 24GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 512×512 | 7.6 GB | S● | S● | B● | S● |
| 768×768 | 7.8 GB | S● | S● | B● | S● |
| 1024×1024 | 8.0 GB | S● | S● | B● | S● |
Optimization Tips
Turbo / LCM distillation
Use distilled scheduler at 4-8 steps for faster iteration
ControlNets available
Add guided generation with 2 adapters (+1.2 GB VRAM each)
Rich LoRA ecosystem
Customize style, characters, and quality with community LoRAs
Run with Python
from diffusers import StableDiffusionXLPipeline
import torch
pipe = StableDiffusionXLPipeline.from_pretrained(
"OnomaAIResearch/Illustrious-xl-early-release-v0",
torch_dtype=torch.float16
)
pipe.to("cuda")
image = pipe(
prompt="your prompt here",
num_inference_steps=28,
guidance_scale=7.5,
height=1024,
width=1024,
).images[0]
image.save("output.png")Get started
Setup instructions for running Illustrious XL locally
1. Download the model
Get the checkpoint from HuggingFace
2. Place in:
ComfyUI/models/checkpoints/3. Launch ComfyUI
python main.pyMemory Breakdown
VRAM allocation at 1024×1024 on RTX 4090 24GB (24 GB)
Estimated Generation Time
Time per image at 1024×1024, 28 steps, FP16.
Sample Outputs
Available Formats, Downloads & Setup
Download Illustrious XL in the precision that matches your GPU. Lower precision usually means less VRAM pressure, while higher precision keeps more quality.
| Formato | Precisão | Tamanho | Provedor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| safetensorsRecomendado | FP16 | 6.9 GB | official | Baixar |
ControlNet Support
2 ControlNets available for Illustrious XL. ControlNets add guided image generation (edges, depth, pose) at the cost of extra VRAM.
Canny Edge (SDXL)
+1.2 GB VRAMInherits SDXL base model ControlNet compatibility. Edge-based structural guidance.
Depth Map (SDXL)
+1.2 GB VRAMInherits SDXL base model ControlNet compatibility. Depth-based spatial control.
LoRA Ecosystem
Massive EcosystemHundreds of Illustrious-specific LoRAs on CivitAI. Also inherits full SDXL LoRA ecosystem.
Approximately 2,000 LoRAs available on CivitAI. Each LoRA adds ~0.2 GB VRAM.
Browse all LoRAs on CivitAIRelated Workflows
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Frequently asked questions
FAQ — Illustrious XL VRAM, Runtimes & Fit
How much VRAM does Illustrious XL need?
Illustrious XL (2.6B parameters) requires approximately 8.0 GB of VRAM at FP16 precision for standard 1024×1024 image generation. If you want a lighter setup, lower precisions like FP8 can reduce memory use when available.
Can I run Illustrious XL on an 8GB GPU?
Illustrious XL usually needs more than 8GB for comfortable local use. Check the VRAM table above for the exact resolution and precision trade-off.
Does Illustrious XL work in ComfyUI and Automatic1111?
Illustrious XL is marked for ComfyUI, Automatic1111, and Diffusers support in our catalog, so those are the runtimes we recommend first for local setup. If your workflow uses another front end, check the model's available formats and workflow notes above before downloading.
Can I run Illustrious XL on RTX 4090?
Yes, the RTX 4090 (24 GB VRAM) can run Illustrious XL comfortably at FP16. Expected generation time is around ~4.5s per image at 1024×1024.
Does Illustrious XL support ControlNet?
Yes, Illustrious XL has 2 ControlNet adapters available: Canny Edge (SDXL), Depth Map (SDXL). Each ControlNet adds roughly 1.2 GB of extra VRAM.
Does Illustrious XL have LoRA support?
Hundreds of Illustrious-specific LoRAs on CivitAI. Also inherits full SDXL LoRA ecosystem. The LoRA ecosystem for Illustrious XL is rated as "massive". There are approximately 2,000 LoRAs available on Civitai. Each LoRA adds roughly 0.2 GB of extra VRAM.
How fast is Illustrious XL?
On a reference GPU (RTX 4090 24GB), Illustrious XL generates a 1024×1024 image in approximately ~4.5s at FP16 with 28 inference steps. Faster GPUs with higher memory bandwidth will produce images more quickly.
About Illustrious XL
See also