Family Clef · 27B parameters

Clef 27B

Cloudflare's dense 27B multimodal model, Apache 2.0, 256k context, ~16 GB Q4 VRAM: vision and reasoning on a 16 GB card, official Ollama tag.

🇺🇸 Cloudflare·License Apache 2.0·Context 256k tokens·Output 2026-09-30·Fits within the 128 GB of the GIGABYTE AI TOP ATOM← Catalog

01What it can do

Strengths
  • Dense 27B: ~16 GB VRAM in Q4, fits on a 16 GB card
  • Native 256k-token context (Hugging Face config.json)
  • Vision and reasoning in a single model
  • Permissive Apache 2.0 license, official Ollama tag
Limitations to know
  • —Cloudflare's first model: limited community feedback
  • —256k context: the KV cache quickly consumes VRAM beyond 32k
  • —No public score in our sources: performance must be verified on your use cases
Architecture
Dense transformer · 27B parameters · 256k context · multimodal (vision)
Training
Cloudflare's open-weights model focused on multimodality and decision-making, released under Apache 2.0 (Hugging Face and Ollama agree on 27B). Corpus details and methodology have not been disclosed.
Ideal for
Image and document analysisLong-context reasoningLocal decision-making agents

04Install

Install Ollama for your OS. Check the model and its quantization before downloading. Start with 4096 tokens of context, then check placement with ollama ps. A command below is not proof that a test was run on your machine.

$ollama pull clef
⚠
First download: between 2 and 40 GB depending on the selected quantization. Plan for sufficient disk space; a stable connection is recommended. Subsequent launches are instant.

02Required memory

Approximate GPU VRAM required to run this model, including 4k tokens of context overhead. For a longer context, add ~1 GB per 8k-token increment.

Q4_K_M
The lightest, ~5% loss
16 GB
Q5_K_M
Good quality/size compromise
19 GB
Q8_0
Nearly indistinguishable from FP16
29 GB
FP16
Full precision — server use
54 GB
Fallback CPU · If you don't have a GPU, allow 35 GB of RAM minimum to run this model at reduced speed.

What hardware do you need for Clef 27B?

To run Clef 27B locally with Q4 quantization, you need about 16 GB of VRAM. An option to compare: GMKtec EVO-X2 64GB / 1TB (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) — leave some headroom for the system and context; check engine compatibility with the GPU.

Current offer: GMKtec EVO-X2 64GB / 1TB (Ryzen AI Max+ 395)
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Why this choice? Our complete guide on GMKtec EVO-X2 64GB / 1TB (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) →

Affiliate links — commission possible at no extra cost to you; independent recommendation. As an Amazon Associate, BestLLMfor earns from qualifying purchases.

On the go: Clef 27B also runs on a RTX laptop PC (16 GB of VRAM) →

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03Expected speed

Tokens generated per second in Q4_K_M, 4k context. Beyond 20 t/s, reading is comfortable. Below 10 t/s, that's just for testing.

Entry-level
~14t/s
GTX 1650, RX 6600, MBA M2 8GB
Mid-range
~18t/s
RTX 4060, 4070, MBP M3 Pro
High-end
~22t/s
RTX 4090, M4 Max, Radeon 7900