Best GPU for local AI

Which AI models can the RTX 5080 run?

The RTX 5080 has 16 GB of graphics memory, read at 960 GB/s. In a desktop with 64 GB of DDR5-6000, 43 of the 88 open models here run entirely on the card, 43 of them writing faster than you read; the most capable it runs well is Qwen3 14B at Q6_K, 44–71 tokens/s. 28 more run with part of the model in system memory, more slowly.

Every figure is for an 8,192-token conversation (about 6,000 words), at the best compression that fits. Try it in the calculator with your own memory, conversation length and compression, or a second card. For image and video models, see Stable Diffusion, FLUX and Wan on the RTX 5080.

Models that run entirely on the card

The fastest way to run a model: all of it in graphics memory. Most people read at 5 to 8 tokens a second, so anything above 10 feels quick.

Models the RTX 5080 runs entirely on the card
ModelCompressionWritesNeeds
Muse Glimmer 30BQ3_K_M39–62 tokens/s15 GB
Qwen3.6 27BQ3_K_M41–65 tokens/s14 GB
Qwen3.8 27BQ3_K_M41–65 tokens/s14 GB
Gemma 3 27BQ3_K_M40–64 tokens/s15 GB
Gemma 4 26B-A4BQ3_K_M140–225 tokens/s13 GB
Mistral Small 3.2 24BQ3_K_M45–73 tokens/s13 GB
Devstral Small 2 24BQ3_K_M45–73 tokens/s13 GB
LFM2.5 24B-A2BQ4_K_M165–260 tokens/s15 GB
gpt-oss 20BMXFP4140–220 tokens/s12 GB
Qwen3 14BQ6_K44–71 tokens/s13 GB
Phi-4Q6_K44–70 tokens/s14 GB
Ministral 3 14BQ6_K47–74 tokens/s13 GB
Gemma 3 12BQ8_042–67 tokens/s14 GB
Gemma 4 12BQ8_043–69 tokens/s13 GB
Qwen3.5 9BQ8_054–86 tokens/s11 GB
Ornith 1.5 9BQ8_054–86 tokens/s11 GB
Ministral 3 8BQ8_056–89 tokens/s11 GB
Granite 4.2 8BQ8_056–89 tokens/s11 GB
Qwen3 8BQ8_060–96 tokens/s9.9 GB
DeepSeek R1 0528 Qwen3 8BQ8_060–96 tokens/s9.9 GB
Llama 3.1 8BQ8_061–98 tokens/s9.6 GB
Gemma 4 E4BQ8_0110–175 tokens/s8.7 GB
Qwen2.5 7BQ8_067–105 tokens/s8.6 GB
Mistral 7B v0.3Q8_067–110 tokens/s8.8 GB
Gemma 4 E2BQ8_0200–320 tokens/s5.5 GB
Qwen3.5 4BQ8_0105–170 tokens/s5.2 GB
Gemma 3 4BQ8_0110–180 tokens/s4.9 GB
Qwen3 4B 2507Q8_0110–175 tokens/s5.5 GB
Ministral 3 3BQ8_0115–185 tokens/s5.0 GB
Phi-4-miniQ8_0115–185 tokens/s5.2 GB
Granite 4.2 3BQ8_0125–200 tokens/s4.6 GB
Llama 3.2 3BQ8_0135–215 tokens/s4.4 GB
SmolLM3 3BQ8_0145–230 tokens/s3.9 GB
Qwen3.5 2BQ8_0200–320 tokens/s2.5 GB
Qwen3 1.7BQ8_0190–305 tokens/s3.1 GB
LFM3 1.7BQ8_0250–395 tokens/s1.9 GB
Llama 3.2 1BQ8_0305–490 tokens/s1.6 GB
Gemma 3 1BQ8_0375–600 tokens/s1.1 GB
Qwen3.5 0.8BQ8_0405–650 tokens/s1.0 GB
Qwen3 0.6BQ8_0335–540 tokens/s1.7 GB
SmolLM2 360MQ8_0575–920 tokens/s0.7 GB
LFM2.5 350MQ8_0655–1050 tokens/s0.5 GB
Gemma 3 270MQ8_0755–1210 tokens/s0.3 GB

With help from system memory

In a desktop with 64 GB of DDR5-6000, these fit with part of the model in system memory. The processor reads that part several times more slowly, so they write more slowly the more of them is off the card.

Models the RTX 5080 runs with part in system memory
ModelOn the cardWritesNeeds
GLM-5.3 Flash 320B-A18B23%14–23 tokens/s64 GB
MiMo V2.6 Flash 309B-A15B24%17–27 tokens/s62 GB
Hy3 295B-A21B24%9.7–15 tokens/s62 GB
Inkling Small 276B-A12B27%21–33 tokens/s56 GB
Qwen3 235B-A22B 250722%7.8–12 tokens/s66 GB
MiniMax M2.7 230B-A10B23%14–22 tokens/s65 GB
Step 3.5 Flash27%16–26 tokens/s55 GB
Qwen3.8 Flash Next22%21–34 tokens/s68 GB
Mistral Medium 3.5 128B23%0.86–1.4 tokens/s65 GB
Qwen3.5 122B-A10B24%11–17 tokens/s61 GB
Nemotron 3.5 Super 120B-A12B24%9.2–15 tokens/s61 GB
Mistral Small 4 119B20%13–20 tokens/s73 GB
gpt-oss 120B23%18–28 tokens/s64 GB
GLM-4.5 Air 106B-A12B27%8.4–13 tokens/s56 GB
Llama 4 Scout 109B-A17B35%8.6–14 tokens/s42 GB
Qwen3 Coder Next 80B-A3B31%28–45 tokens/s49 GB
Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B33%11–17 tokens/s45 GB
Qwen2.5 72B32%1.3–2.2 tokens/s47 GB
Llama 3.3 70B33%1.4–2.2 tokens/s45 GB
Flint 40B-A2.5B61%49–78 tokens/s24 GB
Qwen3.6 35B-A3B67%50–80 tokens/s22 GB
Qwen3 32B82%10–16 tokens/s18 GB
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B77%64–100 tokens/s19 GB
Gemma 4 31B90%16–25 tokens/s16 GB
GLM-4.7 Flash76%58–93 tokens/s19 GB
Qwen3 30B-A3B 250777%51–82 tokens/s19 GB
Qwen3 Coder 30B-A3B77%51–82 tokens/s19 GB
Granite 4.2 30B90%17–27 tokens/s16 GB

The other 17 need more memory than a desktop with 64 GB of DDR5-6000 has; the calculator shows what more memory, or a second card, would add.

Two RTX 5080s

Two of them pool 32 GB, enough for 55 of the models entirely on the cards, 12 more than one holds. The most capable that runs well is Qwen3 32B at Q6_K, 21–33 tokens/s. A second card adds memory, not speed: a model that already fits on one runs no faster on two.

Compared with similar graphics

Tokens per second writing Llama 3.1 8B at 4 bits, which every 8 GB card holds, and the most capable model each runs well on its own. Every card ranked.

GraphicsMemoryLlama 3.1 8BMost capable it runs well
A100 80 GB80 GB140Qwen2.5 72B
RTX 409024 GB135Qwen3 32B
Radeon RX 7900 XTX24 GB135Qwen3 32B
RTX 508016 GB135Qwen3 14B
RTX 5070 Ti16 GB130Qwen3 14B
RTX 6000 Ada48 GB130Qwen2.5 72B
RTX 3090 Ti24 GB125Qwen3 32B

Estimated tokens per second; a real figure is usually within a quarter either way. * Part of it in system memory. {CAPABLE_NOTE}

How it is worked out

Writing an answer is limited by memory rather than arithmetic: for every word-piece (token) a model writes, the computer reads every weight that token uses once. So the speed is how fast the memory holding the model can be read, divided by how much is read for each token: the model’s weights at the chosen compression, plus the conversation so far. How much of its memory speed each graphics card reaches is measured, not assumed: it comes from the card’s own result in llama.cpp’s benchmark, which LM Studio, Ollama and Jan are built on. A model that does not fit in the graphics card’s memory spills into system memory, five to fifteen times slower, and one that does not fit in memory at all can be read from the drive as it runs, slower again; the estimate counts each part at its own speed, and a processor with few threads cannot use all of fast memory. Graphics built into a processor use system memory, at its speed. Reading a prompt is limited by arithmetic, so it follows the measured prompt speed.

Already running a model? See if it runs at full speed

A model that is slower than it should be is nearly always partly on the processor rather than all on the graphics card, which is several times slower — and Ollama does that without a word when something else holds the card’s memory. Bottleneck’s free app checks a model run with Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, KoboldCpp or Jan: where it really runs, how fast it writes, and what your PC should manage with it. Nothing leaves your PC. Or check and fix it by hand.

It reads your parts too: the graphics card and how much memory it really has free, how much system memory is installed, the speed it runs at and in how many channels. Memory left in one channel, or below its rated speed, halves how fast a model runs from it, and Bottleneck says so. Its AI models screen then lists what runs on this PC.

The free version shows where a model runs and how fast, with no time limit and no account. Pro, $9 once, explains why it is slower than it could be and how to fix it. Compare the versions