Best Local LLM for RTX 4070 (2026): 12GB VRAM Picks
The RTX 4070 (non-Ti) ships 12 GB of VRAM. That makes it a capable small-model card — excellent for 8-9B assistants — but 12 GB is the line below which 20B agent models stop fitting comfortably.
Picking hardware for an OpenClaw host?
Use the local model calculator first, then see our AI training options if you want help matching your workload to the right rig.
Short answer: on a 12 GB RTX 4070, run Qwen 3.5 9B at Q6_K (~9 GB, ~30 tok/sec) as your daily assistant, or Llama 3.1 8B at Q8 for general chat. gpt-oss 20B technically loads at Q4 but leaves almost no room for context — for reliable OpenClaw agent work, either use a 16 GB+ card or route agents to the cloud.
The VRAM Math
The 4070 is a great value chat card but a marginal agent card. If OpenClaw tool-calling reliability matters, the extra 4 GB of a 16 GB card (4070 Ti Super, 4080) is the single most useful upgrade.
What Actually Fits (Model Picks)
| Model | Quant | VRAM used | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen 3.5 9B | Q6_K | ~9 GB | ~30 tok/s | Best daily assistant |
| Llama 3.1 8B | Q8_0 | ~9 GB | ~32 tok/s | General chat |
| gpt-oss 20B | Q4_K_M | ~12 GB (very tight) | ~18 tok/s | Loads but no context headroom |
| Qwen 3.5 9B | Q4_K_M | ~6 GB | ~35 tok/s | Leaves room for bigger context |
What You Can’t Run
- gpt-oss 20B with usable context — at 12 GB the KV cache pushes you out of memory; keep 20B for 16 GB+ cards.
- Qwen 3.6 27B at any good quant — needs 17-18 GB, far past 12 GB.
- 70B models — not remotely close on a 12 GB card.
For a linkable 12 GB card the RTX 3060 is the budget option. If you want to run 20B agent models reliably, step to a 16 GB 4070 Ti Super or a 24 GB 4090.
OpenClaw Setup
Point OpenClaw at your local model through Ollama:
# pull and run your pick, then set it as the OpenClaw default ollama pull qwen3:9b openclaw config set agents.defaults.models.chat "ollama/qwen3:9b"
For agent reliability, prefer a model with clean tool-call output (gpt-oss 20B where it fits) and cap context to what your memory holds. See the tool-calling reliability guide.
See Also
- Best Local LLM for RTX 3060 12GB — the budget 12GB card
- Best Local LLM for RTX 4070 Ti Super (16GB) — the 16GB step up
- Best Local LLM for RTX 5070 & 5070 Ti — the Blackwell 12/16GB tier
- Best Local LLM by GPU (hub)
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