NVIDIA · Ampere · 2021
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB for local AI
The cheapest sensible CUDA card for local AI, good for 7B to 14B models.
Updated · Speeds marked ~ are estimates; seemethodology
- VRAM
- 12GB
- Bandwidth
- 360 GB/s
- Power
- 170W
- Runs well
- 3 models
RTX 3060 12GB
Typically about $270 used
Can the RTX 3060 12GB run LLMs?
The RTX 3060 12GB has 12GB of GDDR6 and 360 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which decides how big a model fits and how fast it generates text. It comfortably runs models up to about 15B parameters: the largest in our catalog is Phi-4 at Q3_K_M (9.8GB with 8K context, ~34 tokens/sec). Our top all-round pick for it is Qwen3.5 9B (Q6_K, ~30 tokens/sec). Llama 3.3 70B Instruct only runs with partial CPU offload, at about 1.2 tokens/sec with CPU offload.
Recommendations
Best models for the RTX 3060 12GB
Best overall · also coding, reasoning, vision, fastest
Qwen3.5 9BQ6_K · 10GB · ~30 tokens/sec
Runs wellLargest model that fits
Phi-4Q3_K_M · 10GB · ~34 tokens/sec
Runs wellStretch pick (CPU offload)
Qwen3.6 35B-A3BQ4_K_M · 24GB · about 32 tokens/sec with CPU offload
Partial offload
Compatibility
What runs on the RTX 3060 12GB
Every current model in our catalog, at the best quantization that fits in 12GB with 8K tokens of context. "Partial offload" means part of the model runs from system RAM (we assume 64GB), which is much slower.
| Model | Parameters | Best quant | Memory | Speed | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemma 4 E4B | 8B | Q8_0 | 10 GB | ~27 tok/s | Runs well |
| Qwen3.5 9B | 9B | Q6_K | 9.5 GB | ~30 tok/s | Runs well |
| Phi-4 | 14.7B | Q3_K_M | 9.8 GB | ~34 tok/s | Runs well |
| gpt-oss-20b | 20.9B (3.6B active) | MXFP4 | 15 GB | ~37 tok/s | Partial offload |
| Gemma 4 26B A4B | 26B (3.8B active) | Q4_K_M | 17 GB | ~33 tok/s | Partial offload |
| Qwen3.8 27B | 27B | Q4_K_M | 18 GB | ~5.4 tok/s | Partial offload |
| Gemma 4 31B | 31B | Q4_K_M | 22 GB | ~3.6 tok/s | Partial offload |
| Qwen3.6 35B-A3B | 35B (3B active) | Q4_K_M | 24 GB | ~32 tok/s | Partial offload |
| GLM-4.5-Air | 106B (12B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| Llama 4 Scout | 109B (17B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| gpt-oss-120b | 117B (5.1B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| Qwen3.5 122B-A10B | 122B (10B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 284B (13B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| GLM-5.3-Flash | 320B (18B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
| GLM-5.3 | 744B (40B active) | — | — | — | Won't fitWhat it needs |
Performance
RTX 3060 12GB vs. alternatives on Qwen3.8 27B
Generation speed in tokens per second for a single user. Token generation is limited mostly by memory bandwidth, which is why bandwidth predicts these results so well.
Measured
RTX 3060 12GB benchmark results
| Model | Quant | Runtime | Generation | Prompt | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 2 7B Chat | Q4_0 | llama.cpp (Vulkan) | 76 tok/s | 1815 tok/s | llama.cpp discussion #10879: Performance of llama.cpp with Vulkan · October 2026 |
| Llama 2 7B Chat | Q4_0 | llama.cpp (CUDA) | 76 tok/s | 2140 tok/s | llama.cpp discussion #15013: Performance of llama.cpp on NVIDIA CUDA · October 2026 |
Our take
Should you buy the RTX 3060 12GB for AI?
The RTX 3060 12GB has 12GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus for 360 GB/s. It runs 8B models comfortably and 14B models at 4 bit, which covers most everyday chat and coding assistants. Used cards sold for about $270 in October 2026, making it the cheapest entry point into CUDA. Avoid the later 8GB version, which has a narrower 128-bit bus and less memory.
What we like
- Very low used price for 12GB
- 170W board power fits almost any PC
- Full CUDA support
Watch out for
- 360 GB/s limits speed on larger models
- 12GB rules out models above about 14B
- The 8GB version is easy to buy by mistake
Best for: First local AI builds on a tight budget · Upgrading an older office or gaming PC
Specifications
RTX 3060 12GB specs that matter for AI
- Memory
- 12GB GDDR6
- Memory bandwidth
- 360 GB/s
- Memory bus
- 192-bit
- Architecture
- Ampere
- Power
- 170W
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0 x16
- Released
- 2021
- Launch price
- $329
- Street price (used)
- ~$270 (2026-10)
- Software
- CUDA, Vulkan
The later 8GB version uses a 128-bit bus with 240 GB/s.
Builds
PC builds with the RTX 3060 12GB
Cross-shop
Alternatives to the RTX 3060 12GB
Frequently asked questions
How much VRAM does the RTX 3060 12GB have?
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB has 12GB of GDDR6 with 360 GB/s of memory bandwidth on a 192-bit bus.
What is the largest LLM the RTX 3060 12GB can run?
Fully in GPU memory, the largest model in our catalog that runs comfortably is Phi-4 (14.7B) at Q3_K_M, using about 10GB with 8K context at ~34 tokens/sec.
Can the RTX 3060 12GB run Llama 3.3 70B?
Only with partial CPU offload. At Q4_K_M the model needs about 47GB with 8K context, so part of it spills into system RAM and speed drops to about 1.2 tokens/sec with CPU offload. For usable 70B speeds you want 48GB of VRAM or more (for example two 24GB cards).
What is the best LLM to run on the RTX 3060 12GB?
Our top pick is Qwen3.5 9B at Q6_K, which fits in 12GB with room for 8K of context and runs at ~30 tokens/sec. See our full list of the best models for the RTX 3060 12GB for coding, reasoning, and vision picks.
Is the RTX 3060 12GB good for local AI in 2026?
The cheapest sensible CUDA card for local AI, good for 7B to 14B models.