Gemma 4 26B A4B VRAM Requirements: Q4, Q8, F16, and 24 GB GPU Fit

If you are searching for Gemma 4 26B A4B VRAM requirements, you are probably looking at the most practical large model in the entire Gemma 4 family. The 26B A4B is the model that many local users should try before they jump to the 31B.

That is because Gemma 4 26B A4B combines high quality with a much better speed and memory profile than a normal dense model of similar size.

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Gemma 4 26B A4B VRAM requirements: short answer

As of April 7, 2026, the clearest public numbers are:

Source	Gemma 4 26B A4B memory figure
LM Studio minimum system memory	17 GB
ggml-org Q4_K_M	16.8 GB
ggml-org Q8_0	26.9 GB
ggml-org F16	50.5 GB
Unsloth practical planning range	16-18 GB / 28-30 GB / 52 GB

For most local setups, that translates to:

• Q4 on 24 GB hardware is the sweet spot
• Q8 on 32 GB class hardware starts to make sense
• F16 is still a workstation path

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Exact Gemma 4 26B A4B VRAM requirements by quantization

The official ggml-org GGUF page lists:

Quantization	Approximate size
Q4_K_M	16.8 GB
Q8_0	26.9 GB
F16	50.5 GB

Unsloth's April 2026 local-run guide gives a nearly identical planning range:

Format	Practical planning range
4-bit	16-18 GB
8-bit	28-30 GB
BF16 / FP16	52 GB

That is a very usable answer for real hardware planning.

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Why Gemma 4 26B A4B feels lighter than it looks

The 26B A4B is an MoE model, not a normal dense 26B model.

According to Google's official model card:

• total parameters: 25.2B
• active parameters: 3.8B

That does not mean the model only takes 4B worth of memory to load. You still budget around the real file size.

But it does explain why the model often feels like the best local tradeoff:

• lower active compute per token
• better speed than 31B
• quality much closer to 31B than the raw numbers suggest

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What hardware can actually run Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Your hardware	Gemma 4 26B A4B fit
16 GB class	borderline for Q4
24 GB GPU	strong Q4 target
32 GB GPU	comfortable Q4, viable Q8
48 GB GPU	easy Q4 / Q8 target
24-32 GB unified memory	realistic Q4 target
52 GB+ memory budget	F16 territory

This is why people keep calling Gemma 4 26B A4B the local sweet spot.

It starts around the same lower boundary as "serious local inference", but it rewards that hardware budget far better than most larger dense models do.

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Is 24 GB enough for Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Yes. In fact, 24 GB is exactly the kind of hardware budget where Gemma 4 26B A4B makes the most sense.

With the official Q4 size at 16.8 GB, 24 GB class hardware gives you much more breathing room than 31B Q4 does.

That is why the 26B is such a strong answer for:

• RTX 3090 / 4090 class users
• Apple Silicon users with decent unified memory
• local API builders who need better throughput

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Is 32 GB enough for Gemma 4 26B A4B Q8?

Yes, this is much more realistic than trying to squeeze 31B Q8 into a similar budget.

The official Q8_0 size is 26.9 GB, so a 32 GB class machine is at least in the right neighborhood. That does not mean you should run with zero headroom, but it is a much more believable target than 31B Q8 on 32 GB.

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Is 26B A4B better than 31B for local use?

If you define "better" as best balance of quality, speed, and memory, then yes, often it is.

If you define "better" as highest possible quality in the Gemma 4 family, then no, 31B is still the strongest.

That is the real way to think about Gemma 4 26B A4B VRAM requirements:

• the 26B is the model many people can actually use well
• the 31B is the model some people can justify

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FAQ

How much VRAM does Gemma 4 26B A4B need?

Public April 2026 figures point to:

• Q4: about 16.8-18 GB
• Q8: about 26.9-30 GB
• F16 / BF16: about 50.5-52 GB

Can I run Gemma 4 26B A4B on a 24 GB GPU?

Yes. That is one of the best use cases for this model.

What is the LM Studio minimum memory for Gemma 4 26B A4B?

LM Studio currently lists 17 GB minimum system memory.

Should I pick 26B A4B or 31B?

Pick 26B A4B if you care about practical local deployment. Pick 31B if you care more about maximum quality and can afford more memory.

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Official references

• LM Studio: Gemma 4 26B A4B
• ggml-org Gemma 4 26B A4B GGUF
• Unsloth Gemma 4 local guide
• Google Gemma 4 model card

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Related guides

• Gemma 4 26B vs 31B
• Gemma 4 31B VRAM requirements
• Does llama.cpp support Gemma 4?
• Gemma 4 VRAM calculator