Gemma 2 2B vs Granite 3 2B
Size, context window, license, approximate VRAM and the minimum local hardware each model needs — computed from our catalog and compatibility engine, not benchmarks.
| Gemma 2 2B | Granite 3 2B | |
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | 2B | 2B |
| Context window | 8K tokens | 128K tokens |
| License | Gemma Terms of Use | Apache-2.0 |
| ~VRAM @ 4-bit (Q4_K_M) | ~1.6 GB | ~1.6 GB |
| ~VRAM @ 8-bit (Q8_0) | ~2.4 GB | ~2.4 GB |
| Minimum device | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
| Recommended device | Supermicro 8x H100 SuperServer | Supermicro 8x H100 SuperServer |
| Deployment | Local / on-prem | Local / on-prem |
| Capabilities | Multilingual | Tools, Multilingual, Long context |
Highlighted cells mark the lighter / longer / more permissive side per row, for local deployment. Informational rows have no winner.
Bottom line
Gemma 2 2B and Granite 3 2B are the same size (~2B parameters), so their memory footprints are comparable. Granite 3 2B advertises the longer context window (128K vs 8K), which helps with long documents. Granite 3 2B's Apache-2.0 license is the more permissive of the two for commercial use. Both can start on a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB-class machine. Figures are approximate working-set estimates, not benchmarks — verify the exact release before committing hardware.
Pick Gemma 2 2B if on-device assistant.
Pick Granite 3 2B if you need the longer 128K context window, or you want the more permissive Apache-2.0 license.
Runs on a CPU or any small GPU. Strong response quality for a 2B model, with a short context window.
Runs on a CPU or any small GPU. A small, openly-licensed enterprise model with tool calling.
Run the winner on hardware you control
Pick the model that fits your footprint, then turn the right machine into a private AI Business OS — no per-seat data leaving your premises.