Granite 4.1 3B Instruct
By IBM · United States
Updated 2026-07-13
Overview
IBM's dense 3B Granite 4.1: Apache 2.0, 12 languages, 131k context, with tool calling and FIM code support. The smallest Granite tier, sharing data and pipeline with its larger siblings.
When to pick this model
- Edge and embedded deployments needing ~3 GB VRAM
- Code completion with fill-in-the-middle
- Tool-calling agents on resource-constrained hardware
- Multilingual apps across 12 languages
- Long-context tasks at very small scale (131k)
VRAM requirements by quantization
| Quantization | VRAM required |
|---|---|
| Q4_K_M (recommended) | 2 GB |
| Q5_K_M | 2.5 GB |
| Q8_0 | 3 GB |
| FP16 (no quantization) | 6 GB |
VRAM figures include model weights plus a typical 8k KV cache and ~600 MB runtime overhead (Ollama / llama.cpp baseline). Add headroom for higher context lengths.
In practice, Granite 4.1 3B Instruct fits an 8 GB consumer card at Q4_K_M (2 GB). Stepping up to Q8_0 raises the footprint to 3 GB, and unquantized FP16 weights take 6 GB — plan your GPU around the Q4 or Q5 figure unless you specifically need the higher fidelity.
Without a GPU, Granite 4.1 3B Instruct needs roughly 5 GB of system RAM to run on CPU via llama.cpp or Ollama — workable for background jobs, but far slower than GPU inference. Throughput estimates from our compatibility engine: around 25 tokens/sec on entry-level GPUs, on the order of 70 tokens/sec on a mid-range card, and up to 160 tokens/sec on high-end hardware — assuming the chosen quantization fully fits in VRAM.
What hardware do you need
The table below matches Granite 4.1 3B Instruct to common GPU memory tiers, using the highest-fidelity quantization that fully fits each card class. Spilling layers to system RAM works but costs most of the speed, so size your card to the quantization you actually want to run.
| GPU memory | Example cards | Best fit for Granite 4.1 3B Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | RTX 5070 Laptop, RTX 5060, RTX 5060 Ti 8GB | FP16 (6 GB used) |
| 12 GB | RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, RTX 4080 Laptop | FP16 (6 GB used) |
| 16 GB | RTX 5080, RTX 4080 Super, Radeon RX 9070 XT | FP16 (6 GB used) |
| 24 GB | RTX 4090, Radeon RX 7900 XTX, RTX 5090 Laptop | FP16 (6 GB used) |
| 32 GB | RTX 5090 | FP16 (6 GB used) |
Which GPU should you buy to run Granite 4.1 3B Instruct?
To run Granite 4.1 3B Instruct locally at Q4, you need ~2 GB of VRAM. The best value for this is a RTX 5060 (8 GB VRAM).
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Strengths
- Apache 2.0 with full openness
- Tool calling plus FIM code completion
- 12 languages including French
- 131k context at only 3B params
- Fits in 3 GB VRAM
Limitations
- Reasoning lags the 8B and 30B siblings
- Demanding chat use cases really want the 8B model
Typical workloads
In our catalog grid, Granite 4.1 3B Instruct is filed under Laptop Assistant, Edge Tool Calling, Compact RAG — the use cases where its size/quality trade-off makes the most sense. Its tags translate to concrete workloads: code generation and review (pair it with an editor integration like Continue.dev or Cline); multilingual workloads.
The 128k-token context window is large enough to hold entire codebases' worth of files or long reports in a single prompt, which is what makes local RAG and document analysis practical. The Apache 2.0 license is permissive, so shipping it inside a commercial product raises no special legal questions.
Architecture & training
Architecture: Dense Transformer · 40 layers · GQA 40Q/8KV · embedding 2560 · MLP hidden 8,192 · SwiGLU · RoPE · RMSNorm
Training: SFT + RL alignment, same data and pipeline as the 8B and 30B. 12 languages including FR. NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 cluster.
A serious 3B option for edge and embedded — same Granite recipe, just smaller.
Quick start
ollama run granite4.1:3bOr use the open-source MCP server to query this model from Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.
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Frequently asked questions
How much VRAM does Granite 4.1 3B Instruct need?
At the recommended Q4_K_M quantization, Granite 4.1 3B Instruct needs about 2 GB of VRAM. Q8_0 takes 3 GB, and unquantized FP16 weights take 6 GB.
Can Granite 4.1 3B Instruct run without a GPU?
Yes — with roughly 5 GB of system RAM it runs CPU-only through llama.cpp or Ollama. Expect a fraction of GPU speed, which is fine for background or batch jobs but slow for interactive chat.
What context window does Granite 4.1 3B Instruct support?
Granite 4.1 3B Instruct supports a 128k-token context window (131,072 tokens).
Can I use Granite 4.1 3B Instruct commercially?
Yes. Granite 4.1 3B Instruct is released under Apache 2.0, a permissive open-source license that allows commercial use, modification and redistribution.
How fast is Granite 4.1 3B Instruct on consumer hardware?
Our compatibility engine estimates on the order of 70 tokens/sec on a mid-range GPU and up to 160 tokens/sec on high-end cards, assuming the quantization fully fits in VRAM.
Which quantization of Granite 4.1 3B Instruct should I download first?
Start with Q4_K_M (2 GB) — the standard size/quality sweet spot. Step up to Q5_K_M or Q8_0 only if you have VRAM headroom. It already fits an 8 GB card at FP16.