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Fara1.5-27B: how much VRAM does it need?

This page was written and translated automatically by AI and checked by software against its sources, with no human editing. Specifications come from the sources listed; memory requirements and speeds are estimates calculated with published formulas. How we use AI

Fara1.5-27B has 26.9B parameters. At Q4_K_M with a context of 8,192 tokens, a single GPU needs 19.1 GiB of available memory for the result to be “Fits”.

Values updated Oct 19, 2026

Key facts

Original repository
microsoft/Fara1.5-27B@299c840
Publisher
microsoft
License
mit
Parameters (GGUF tensor table: the tensors llama.cpp loads; multi-token-prediction layers not counted)
26.9B
Parameters reported by the original repository (may include a vision encoder or extra layers)
27.4B
Layers
64
Attention layout
16 full-attention layers; 48 recurrent / linear-attention layers (fixed-size state)
KV cache per token (F16, all attention layers)
64.0 KiB
Longest supported context
262,144
Image input
Supported by the model; estimates here cover text only (the vision projector needs extra memory).

GGUF files and memory needed

All quantizations come from one GGUF repository at one pinned revision: bartowski/Fara1.5-27B-GGUF@dd7cba9

File sizes are the real files on Hugging Face. The other columns give X, the available memory one GPU needs for the result to be “Fits” (largest buffer estimate ÷ 0.95 + 1 GiB), with llama.cpp, Flash Attention, F16 KV cache, 4 parallel sequences and micro-batch 512. They do not depend on any particular GPU.
QuantizationFile sizeX at 4,096 contextX at 8,192 contextX at 32,768 contextX at 131,072 context
BF16 50.11 GiB (2 files) 52.6 GiB52.9 GiB54.5 GiB61.0 GiB
Q8_0 26.70 GiB 29.2 GiB29.4 GiB31.1 GiB37.6 GiB
Q6_K 21.63 GiB 24.1 GiB24.4 GiB26.0 GiB32.5 GiB
Q5_K_M 19.10 GiB 21.6 GiB21.9 GiB23.5 GiB30.0 GiB
Q4_K_M 16.33 GiB 18.9 GiB19.1 GiB20.8 GiB27.3 GiB
Q4_0 15.00 GiB 17.5 GiB17.7 GiB19.4 GiB25.9 GiB
IQ4_XS 14.28 GiB 16.7 GiB17.0 GiB18.6 GiB25.2 GiB
Q3_K_M 13.38 GiB 15.9 GiB16.2 GiB17.8 GiB24.3 GiB
IQ3_XXS 11.54 GiB 14.0 GiB14.3 GiB15.9 GiB22.4 GiB
Q2_K 10.80 GiB 13.3 GiB13.6 GiB15.2 GiB21.8 GiB
IQ2_M 9.90 GiB 12.3 GiB12.5 GiB14.2 GiB20.7 GiB

Smallest GPU for each quantization

For each quantization: the listed GPU with the least memory whose estimate is “Fits” on one card at 8,192 tokens of context. GPUs whose result is “Unknown” (no runtime profile, workstation and data-center cards, unified memory) are not considered.
QuantizationSmallest GPU that fits (one card)Memory
BF16 No listed GPU fits on one card. For several cards, use the Calculator —
Q8_0 No listed GPU fits on one card. For several cards, use the Calculator —
Q6_K NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB
Q5_K_M AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB
Q4_K_M AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB
Q4_0 AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB
IQ4_XS AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB
Q3_K_M AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB
IQ3_XXS AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB
Q2_K AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB
IQ2_M AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB

GPUs that can run Fara1.5-27B

“Fits” means llama.cpp's default --fit load check would place all layers on the GPU: our estimate of llama.cpp's buffers, plus its error margin, plus llama.cpp's 1 GiB per-card reserve, is within the memory counted as available. It does not promise that peak memory while generating fits. How results are decided

Context 8,192 tokens. Highest quantization that fits on one card, its longest context and the speed ceiling.
GPU Memory Run profile Highest quantization that fits Available memory needed for “Fits” Longest context Speed ceiling Result
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ3_XXS 14.3 GiB 15,616 — Fits
AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE 16 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ3_XXS 14.3 GiB 13,568 — Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB 16 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) Q2_K 13.6 GiB 12,032 ≤ 24.6 tok/s Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 13,312 ≤ 63.3 tok/s Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 13,312 ≤ 67.6 tok/s Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB 16 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 13,312 — Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 13,312 ≤ 84.4 tok/s Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 13,312 ≤ 90.4 tok/s Fits
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) Q4_0 17.7 GiB 21,504 — Fits
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) Q5_K_M 21.9 GiB 20,992 — Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) Q4_K_M 19.1 GiB 42,752 ≤ 54.0 tok/s Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) Q4_K_M 19.1 GiB 34,304 ≤ 58.1 tok/s Fits
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) Q6_K 24.4 GiB 81,408 ≤ 78.9 tok/s Fits

Borderline GPUs

Context 8,192 tokens. No quantization fits on these cards; the one shown is the highest that is borderline.
GPU Memory Run profile Highest borderline quantization Available memory needed for “Fits” Result
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB 10 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Tight
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) Q2_K 13.6 GiB Tight
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) Q2_K 13.6 GiB Tight
AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT 12 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ3_XXS 14.3 GiB Tight
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ3_XXS 14.3 GiB Tight
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ3_XXS 14.3 GiB Tight
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ3_XXS 14.3 GiB Tight
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ3_XXS 14.3 GiB Tight

GPUs where it doesn’t fit on one card

Context 8,192 tokens. Even the lowest quantization does not fit on one card.
GPU Memory Run profile Smallest quantization Available memory needed for “Fits” Several identical cards Result
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB — Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB — Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Borderline with 8 cards. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Borderline with 8 cards. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Borderline with 8 cards. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB 6 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Borderline with 8 cards. Doesn't fit
AMD Radeon Pro V520 8 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB — Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 8GB 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB 4 identical cards (default even split) are expected to fit. Fewer cards are borderline. Doesn't fit
NVIDIA P4 8 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB — Doesn't fit

GPUs without a verdict

Context 8,192 tokens. No verdict on these GPUs (see “Why no verdict”); the requirement shown is for the lowest quantization.
GPU Memory Run profile Smallest quantization Available memory needed for “Fits” Why no verdict Result
NVIDIA P100 16 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA L4 24 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA Tesla P40 24 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Radeon PRO W7800 32GB 32 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA Tesla V100 32GB 32 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Radeon PRO W7800 48GB 48 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Radeon PRO W7900 48 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA L40 48 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Instinct MI210 64 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA H100 PCIe 80 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA H100 NVL 94 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA H200 SXM 141 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA B200 180 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Instinct MI300X 192 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
NVIDIA B100 192 GB CUDA (NVIDIA) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Instinct MI325X 256 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Instinct MI350X 288 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown
AMD Instinct MI355X 288 GB ROCm on Linux (AMD) IQ2_M 12.5 GiB Unknown: memory configuration not established for this GPU; only “Doesn’t fit” would be shown. Unknown

The speed ceiling is memory bandwidth divided by the bytes read per generated token. It is a theoretical upper bound; public llama.cpp benchmarks typically reach about half to four-fifths of it, and small models and mixture-of-experts models often less. Public benchmarks

Original weights

The model’s original weight files (safetensors, counted as described in the methodology) total 51.0 GiB. They are listed for reference only; every estimate on this page is for the GGUF files above, run with llama.cpp. microsoft/Fara1.5-27B · Methodology

Sources