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Best LLM on RTX 2070 (8 GB) in 2026

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Ranking updated on 09/10/2026

The RTX 2070 (8 GB GDDR6, 448 GB/s), at around €120–150 used, remains usable for 7–9B models in Q4. An older Turing architecture, but functional for beginner LLM use.

Offers and alternatives for local AI

RTX 2070 : purchasing alternative available for local AI — RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB :

Which PC should you choose for your budget? Our picks from €800 to €3,500 →

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Ranking

1

🇺🇸 OLMo 3 7B Think (SFT)

zimplex · 7B parameters · Apache 2.0 · 16,000 tokens ctx

SFT “thinking” fine-tune of OLMo 3 7B: step-by-step reasoning, 16k context, ~4.2 GB VRAM in Q4. 100% open, Apache 2.0 license.

Why this ranking SFT “thinking” fine-tune of OLMo 3 7B: step-by-step reasoning, 16k context, ~4.2 GB VRAM in Q4. 100% open, Apache 2.0 license.
# HuggingFace : zimplex/olmo3-7b-think-sft-eosfix-16k-3ep-euc
On RTX 2070
Q8
8 GB · 32 tok/s
2

🇨🇳 GLM 5.3 7B

Zhipu AI · 7B parameters · MIT · 128,000 tokens ctx

GLM 5.3 (Zhipu): dense 7B specialized in code and reasoning, 128k context, ~4.1 GB VRAM in Q4. Lightweight, runs on a 6–8 GB GPU, MIT license.

Why this ranking GLM 5.3 (Zhipu): dense 7B specialized in code and reasoning, 128k context, ~4.1 GB VRAM in Q4. Lightweight, runs on a 6–8 GB GPU, MIT license.
ollama pull glm-5.3
On RTX 2070
Q8
7 GB · 32 tok/s
3

🇺🇸 Granite 4.1 8B Instruct

IBM · 8B parameters · Apache 2.0 · 131,072 tokens ctx

Dense 8B Apache 2.0, 12 languages including FR, 131k context, GQA 32Q/8KV. MMLU 73.84, HumanEval 85.37. Released April 29, 2026.

Why this ranking Dense 8B Apache 2.0, 12 languages including FR, 131k context, GQA 32Q/8KV. MMLU 73.84, HumanEval 85.37. Released April 29, 2026.
# HuggingFace : ibm-granite/granite-4.1-8b
On RTX 2070
Q5_K_M
6 GB · 12 tok/s
4

🇺🇸 OLMo 3 7B

Allen AI · 7B parameters · Apache 2.0 · 8,192-token context

Dense 7B 100% open (weights + data + code). Complete transparency for research.

Why this ranking Dense 7B 100% open (weights + data + code). Complete transparency for research.
ollama run olmo-3:7b
On RTX 2070
Q5_K_M
6 GB · 12 tok/s
5

🇺🇸 Granite 4.2 8B

IBM · 8B parameters · Apache 2.0 · 128,000 tokens ctx

Granite 4.2 8B (IBM): dense Apache 2.0, 128k context, ~4.6 GB Q4 VRAM. Multilingual chat, coding, and reasoning for the enterprise.

Why this ranking Granite 4.2 8B (IBM): dense Apache 2.0, 128k context, ~4.6 GB Q4 VRAM. Multilingual chat, coding, and reasoning for the enterprise.
ollama pull granite4.2
On RTX 2070
Q5_K_M
6 GB · 32 tok/s
6

🇺🇸 LFM2.5 7B

Liquid AI · 7B parameters · LFM Open License v1.0 · 32,768-token context

LFM2.5 7B (Liquid AI): dense Liquid Foundation Model, 32k context, 4.1 GB VRAM Q4. Optimized for CPU and edge. Released May 2026.

Why this ranking LFM2.5 7B (Liquid AI): dense Liquid Foundation Model, 32k context, 4.1 GB VRAM Q4. Optimized for CPU and edge. Released May 2026.
ollama pull lfm2.5
On RTX 2070
Q8
7 GB · 32 tok/s
7

🇺🇸 LFM2.5 DSpark

Liquid AI · 7B parameters · LFM Open License v1.0 · 32,768-token context

LFM2.5 DSpark (Liquid AI): dense 7B Liquid Foundation Model, 32k context, ~4.1 GB VRAM Q4. Versatile chat optimized for edge/CPU.

Why this ranking LFM2.5 DSpark (Liquid AI): dense 7B Liquid Foundation Model, 32k context, ~4.1 GB VRAM Q4. Versatile chat optimized for edge/CPU.
# HuggingFace : LiquidAI/LFM2.5-DSpark
On RTX 2070
Q8
7 GB · 32 tok/s

Comparison table

Rank Model Params Q4 VRAM Context License On RTX 2070
#1 OLMo 3 7B Think (SFT) 7B 4.2 GB 16 000 Apache 2.0 32 tok/s · Q8
#2 GLM 5.3 7B 7B 4.1 GB 128 000 MIT 32 tok/s · Q8
#3 Granite 4.1 8B Instruct 8B 5 GB 131 072 Apache 2.0 12 tok/s · Q5_K_M
#4 OLMo 3 7B 7B 5 GB 8 192 Apache 2.0 12 tok/s · Q5_K_M
#5 Granite 4.2 8B 8B 4.6 GB 128 000 Apache 2.0 32 tok/s · Q5_K_M
#6 LFM2.5 7B 7B 4.1 GB 32 768 LFM Open License v1.0 32 tok/s · Q8
#7 LFM2.5 DSpark 7B 4.1 GB 32 768 LFM Open License v1.0 32 tok/s · Q8
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Ranking methodology

Filter: Q4_K_M ≤ 7 GB. Bonus: 3-9B. 448 GB/s = 3070-equivalent bandwidth.

Criteria considered:

  • Q4_K_M ≤ 7 GB
  • Mistral 7B Q4 at 25 tok/s
  • GDDR6 448 GB/s
  • Extreme budget ~€120

The scoring is fully transparent: see our methodology for details on VRAM/tokens/sec calculations.

Frequently asked questions

RTX 2070 in 2026: is it worth it?

If you already have the card, yes, for experimentation: Mistral 7B Q4 at 25 tok/s. For a purchase, a used 3060 12 GB (~€200) is much better. See 3060 12GB.

2070 vs. 2070 Super?

Nearly identical (8 GB GDDR6, 448 GB/s). 2070 Super = ~10% more CUDA cores. Marginal difference.

Which models should you test on a 2070?

Mistral 7B Q4 (~4.5 GB), Llama 3.2 3B Q4 (~2 GB, 60+ tok/s), Phi-4 Mini 3.8B Q4 (40+ tok/s). Avoid 13B+: it won’t fit.

Should you choose a Mac M1?

Used Mac M1 8/16 GB ~€300–400 = 8/16 GB unified memory + quiet operation. 2070 ~€120 + existing PC = more economical. See 16 GB Mac.

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