GoogleGemma 4 12BVSGoogleGemma 4 31B
Our Take
We recommend Gemma 4 31B for superior reasoning capability, or Gemma 4 12B for faster local inference on smaller GPU hardware. While both models run locally for zero API costs, Gemma 4 31B carries a larger parameter memory footprint. Choose Gemma 4 31B if you have the VRAM to support it, or Gemma 4 12B for consumer-grade hardware compatibility.
▶WHY?
Benchmark Calculations & Evidence:
Reasoning Accuracy: Both models were evaluated on the GPQA Diamond benchmark. Gemma 4 31B scored 84.3%, while Gemma 4 12B scored 78.8% (+5.5% gap).
Coding Performance: Both models were evaluated on the LiveCodeBench benchmark. Gemma 4 31B scored 80%, while Gemma 4 12B scored 72% (+8.0% gap).
Hardware Footprint: Gemma 4 31B is a 30.7B parameter model requiring more VRAM, while Gemma 4 12B is a 11.95B parameter model.
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Benchmarks & Scores
Coding (live-code-bench)
72%scripting single-file apps or clearly defined functions
Reasoning (gpqa-diamond)
78.8%graduate-level science QA
Cost & Context
Cost (per 1M tokens)
Self HostLocal execution (zero API fees)Context Window
262.14k tokensBenchmarks & Scores
Coding (live-code-bench)Winner (+8.0%)
80%scripting single-file apps or clearly defined functions
Reasoning (gpqa-diamond)Winner (+5.5%)
84.3%graduate-level science QA
Cost & Context
Cost (per 1M tokens)
Self HostLocal execution (zero API fees)Context Window
262.14k tokensFrequently Asked Questions about Gemma 4 12B vs Gemma 4 31B
Gemma 4 31B is better for coding tasks on this benchmark. It scores 80% on live-code-bench (scripting single-file apps or clearly defined functions) compared to Gemma 4 12B which scores 72%.
Related Matchups
Explore similar comparisons for Gemma 4 12B and Gemma 4 31B.
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