what LLMs can the RTX 3060 12GB run? The full list with real speeds (2026)

12GB of VRAM runs more than you'd think — from snappy 7B models to a DeepSeek R1 distill. Here's exactly which local models the RTX 3060 12GB can…

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Ravi Malhotra · Hardware Editor

What the RTX 3060 12GB runs

7-8B: flying — ~42 tok/s. Smooth interactive chat.

What the RTX 3060 12GB runs

9B: excellent — Qwen 9B ~38 tok/s (a great pick for this card).

What the RTX 3060 12GB runs

13-14B: workable — ~10-22 tok/s depending on context.

What the RTX 3060 12GB runs

DeepSeek R1 8B distill — reasoning on a budget (~10-12 tok/s).

What the RTX 3060 12GB runs

Fits every 7B at Q4/Q5, most 13B at Q4 — quantization matters.

What the RTX 3060 12GB runs

30B+: no — needs a 24GB card; 12GB is the entry tier.

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what LLMs can the RTX 3060 12GB run? The full list with real speeds (2026)

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