Family Gemma · 27B parameters

Gemma 3 27B

High-end Gemma. LMArena Elo 1338 — beats Llama 3.1 405B at 15× smaller size.

🇺🇸 Google·License Gemma·Context 125k tokens·Output March 2025·Fits within the 128 GB of the GIGABYTE AI TOP ATOM← Catalog

01What it can do

Strengths
  • LMArena Elo 1338: beats Llama 3.1 405B at 15× smaller
  • Multimodal
  • 128k ctx
Limitations to know
  • —License Gemma
  • —No thinking mode
Architecture
Dense VLM · sliding-window attention
Training
14T tokens.
Ideal for
WritingAnalysisVision

05Install

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 run gemma3:27b
⚠
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 28 GB of RAM minimum to run this model at reduced speed.

What hardware do you need for Gemma 3 27B?

To run Gemma 3 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 recommendations. As an Amazon Associate, BestLLMfor earns from qualifying purchases.

On the go: Gemma 3 27B also runs on a RTX laptop PC (16 GB of VRAM) →

This model in your private ChatGPT, without the cloud

Your private ChatGPT, free, on your own machine in an hour — LM Studio, Ollama, Open WebUI, your documents, no cloud.

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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
~3t/s
GTX 1650, RX 6600, MBA M2 8GB
Mid-range
~13t/s
RTX 4060, 4070, MBP M3 Pro
High-end
~32t/s
RTX 4090, M4 Max, Radeon 7900

04Public benchmarks

Scores reproduced from model cards or MMLU-Pro / community sources. Unit: % correct answers.

LMArena Elo
1338
MMLU
78.6
MMLU-Pro
67.5
MATH
89