Running Large Models on 8GB VRAM? Understanding Shared Memory in Local Deployment
Leary_2844 · reddit · 2026-08-10
A user with a 3060ti (8GB VRAM) shares their confusion and findings regarding running large local models.
- Shared Memory Mechanism: The user discovered that the system automatically allocates 8GB of system RAM as shared VRAM. This allows models larger than the 8GB physical VRAM limit (up to 16GB) to run smoothly with minimal performance hit.
- Offloading Limits: When a model exceeds 20GB, RAM maxes out and the system relies heavily on disk reading, which is essentially offloading or streaming.
- GGUF Loading Logic: Clarifies a misconception about GGUF models—an 8GB GGUF file might only occupy 5GB in VRAM, as the framework dynamically manages weight loading rather than dumping the entire package into memory at once.
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