# Ask about an image: a starting option for NVIDIA PC, 12 GB dedicated VRAM

Agent contract: 1.2.0

Qwen3.5 4B Q4_K_M is a documentation-led starting option with explicit machine conditions. Hardware use is estimated and untested by Bright.

Canonical: https://brightaifuture.com/run/nvidia-12gb/image
Format: guide
Source publication: 2026-10-12
Bright publication: 2026-10-12
Substantive update: 2026-10-12
Evidence and review: Documentation checked 2026-10-12. No model or hardware tests performed.

## The starting choice

Qwen3.5 4B has a documented image-input path and an exact matching GGUF projector. Use this consistent starting pair and check visible details before considering larger alternatives.

Ask about an image: Qwen3.5 4B Q4_K_M
NVIDIA PC, 12 GB dedicated VRAM
Runtime: lmstudio-community/Qwen3.5-4B-GGUF
Starter context: 4096 tokens; one chat
Documentation checked 2026-10-12; estimated and untested
https://brightaifuture.com/run/nvidia-12gb/image

## Reviewed conditions

Dedicated GPU memory: 12 GB VRAM. System RAM review criterion: at least 16 GB, separately. These are installed-memory profile conditions, not detected or measured available memory.

Starter context: 4096 tokens. Concurrency: 1 chat. These are editorial starting settings, not measured fit.

Reviewed Windows x64 app path, or Ubuntu 20.04+ x64 AppImage. Vendor says Ubuntu versions newer than 22 are not well tested. Exact Windows minimum for this artifact is not established.

x64 CPU with AVX2; integrated-only graphics excluded

NVIDIA GPU and driver compatible with the selected LM Studio CUDA runtime. Exact minimum driver for these artifacts is not established; verify the current engine and actual GPU before loading.

This is the reviewed setup scope, not hardware detected from your browser and not a promise that the model loads or performs well.

Confirm installed and currently available memory separately; use one chat at a time and start with the stated context.

At least 16 GB system RAM is an explicit Bright review criterion, separately from 12 GB dedicated VRAM. It does not establish available memory or fit.

Record app and runtime/backend versions. Use current stable compatible runtime; historical version examples are not oldest-supported-version guarantees.

## Exact package

lmstudio-community/Qwen3.5-4B-GGUF

Publisher: lmstudio-community. Revision: f9f88ac3e234be915e23811a6d28ea287bdb927e.

Current documented application example: 0.4.26 Build 2 or later. Engine example: llama.cpp 2.50.0 (upstream b11337). Exact oldest compatible versions for these artifacts are not established.

Selected transfer bytes: 3383082464. This excludes runtime memory and does not establish compatibility. License: Apache-2.0, subject to its linked terms.

Qwen3.5-4B-Q4_K_M.gguf (language-model): 2707513696 transfer bytes; SHA-256 25082a7dd3776cc3c741c6347d3bd04523f05796607b3fbc32fa3a25dfa1418c. Listing: https://huggingface.co/lmstudio-community/Qwen3.5-4B-GGUF/blob/f9f88ac3e234be915e23811a6d28ea287bdb927e/Qwen3.5-4B-Q4_K_M.gguf Download: https://huggingface.co/lmstudio-community/Qwen3.5-4B-GGUF/resolve/f9f88ac3e234be915e23811a6d28ea287bdb927e/Qwen3.5-4B-Q4_K_M.gguf

mmproj-Qwen3.5-4B-BF16.gguf (projector): 675568768 transfer bytes; SHA-256 ae08d9d7eceb8f2d0672d61b5e6aa78b611f2942b55ed71d21414980cc454b91. Listing: https://huggingface.co/lmstudio-community/Qwen3.5-4B-GGUF/blob/f9f88ac3e234be915e23811a6d28ea287bdb927e/mmproj-Qwen3.5-4B-BF16.gguf Download: https://huggingface.co/lmstudio-community/Qwen3.5-4B-GGUF/resolve/f9f88ac3e234be915e23811a6d28ea287bdb927e/mmproj-Qwen3.5-4B-BF16.gguf

The app and engine versions are documented. Support for these exact file hashes is inferred from documented model support and the later engine, not directly tested. LM Studio 0.4.6 documents a Qwen3.5 document-chat template fix, and a maintainer confirms model support in llama.cpp engine 2.5.1. Individual loading problems were also reported. These older examples do not establish the oldest compatible version for this exact file pair.

## Changes

2026-10-12: 2026-10-12-r1. Initial documentation-led editorial starting selections. No hands-on hardware tests.

## Check your machine conditions

Read the separate OS, processor, backend, system RAM and dedicated VRAM conditions shown in this answer. Installed memory is not available memory. Apple Silicon uses unified memory; never add system RAM and VRAM to establish compatibility.

## Install and update LM Studio

Install the current stable desktop app and update its compatible llama.cpp runtime. The source-check example is LM Studio 0.4.26 Build 4; Build 2 documents runtime 2.50.0. These are documented examples, not exact-artifact success guarantees. Use GGUF with the matching Metal or CUDA backend in your conditions; this answer does not provide an MLX path.

## Select the exact reviewed files

In Discover, search the exact publisher and repository shown above. Match every selected filename and reviewed revision, including any required projector. Do not choose a similarly named curated package. If the listing cannot establish that revision, use the linked pinned files and documented import route, or stop for verification.

## Load one model with a short context

Open Chat and its model loader, then select the downloaded model. Set context to 4096 tokens and use one request at a time. These are Bright editorial starting settings, not maker maxima or measured fit. My Models' settings or the pre-load configuration can set context. Keep the metadata chat template; current GGUF template settings are under Load Parameters > Advanced, but the exact current graphical labels have not been inspected.

## Keep Qwen3.5 reasoning settings model-specific

Do not copy Qwen3 /think or /nothink switches. Qwen3.5 documents the enable_thinking chat-template setting. Keep the supplied metadata template and use an app-supported reasoning control only if available and understood. The exact desktop control and behavior are untested.

## Verify the matching projector and attach one picture

Verify that the app associates the exact matching projector listed in this answer with the selected model. Automatic association is not guaranteed here. Attach your own non-sensitive picture through the available image attachment control and confirm it appears before sending. Current control labels and this exact pairing are untested. Stop if images are unavailable, the projector is missing or the app reports unsupported input.

## Try the fictional task and verify the answer

Use the exercise below. Compare every claimed fact or quotation with the original input. Stop if loading or extraction fails, memory pressure or swap becomes high, the system becomes unresponsive, or output repeats. Shorten input or choose a smaller reviewed option rather than forcing a fit.

## Keep the local-only conditions visible

After the model files and runtime are installed, local model and document chat are documented to work offline. Search, downloads and updates use the network. Select the installed local model and avoid remote providers, LM Link, cloud services, external tools and plugins for this path. Their behavior is outside this offline claim.

## Estimated and untested

Download bytes do not establish runtime memory or compatibility. Peak memory, speed and exact hardware execution remain untested. Historical application and runtime support examples are not blanket guarantees for these artifacts.

## Image answers need verification

An exact model and matching projector are required. Current app association and image controls are untested. Compare descriptions with the image; do not use this starter task for medical, identity or safety decisions.

## Try and check

Describe the two visible shapes and their colors. Separate what you can see from anything uncertain. Do not guess a purpose or add objects.
Make your own picture of a red square beside a blue circle and attach it before asking.
Compare every assertion with the actual picture. Confidence does not establish accuracy.
Do not use this exercise for medical interpretation, identity or safety decisions.

## Limitations

Documentation-checked and estimated. Bright has not loaded these models or tested these computer configurations. Runtime memory, speed and output quality are unknown.

Download bytes are transfer size, not runtime memory. Available memory differs from installed memory. Context, app/runtime, projector, other applications and load settings affect use.

System RAM and dedicated VRAM are separate resources. Do not add them or infer compatibility from their sum.

Exact oldest compatible version of these pinned artifacts is not established. Current version mapping and historical family support are documentary evidence, not a hardware test.

Discover may select newer files. Compare publisher, filenames and recorded revision before treating a changed package as this reviewed option.

Start with 4096 tokens for this exercise. The model supports longer contexts, but longer conversations use more memory. This starting setting is not a tested memory limit or the model’s maximum context.

Use the exact matching projector. Image replies may invent details. This exercise does not establish medical or safety interpretation.

## Provenance and history

{
  "provenance": {
    "evidenceState": "documentation-checked",
    "hardwareAssessment": "estimated",
    "revision": "2026-10-12-r1",
    "runtimeMemoryBytes": null,
    "speedTokensPerSecond": null,
    "hardwareTestReceipt": null
  },
  "revisions": [
    {
      "revision": "2026-10-12-r1",
      "date": "2026-10-12",
      "reason": "Initial documentation-led editorial starting selections. No hands-on hardware tests."
    }
  ]
}

## Original sources

- [Apache License 2.0 terms](https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)
- [Qwen3.5 4B Q4_K_M: maker checkpoint and license](https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen3.5-4B)
- [Qwen3.5 4B Q4_K_M: exact GGUF publisher metadata](https://huggingface.co/api/models/lmstudio-community/Qwen3.5-4B-GGUF/revision/f9f88ac3e234be915e23811a6d28ea287bdb927e?blobs=true)
- [LM Studio system requirements](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/system-requirements)
- [LM Studio app and runtime documentation](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app)
- [LM Studio current app and engine release notes](https://lmstudio.ai/changelog/lmstudio)
- [LM Studio Qwen3.5 model information](https://lmstudio.ai/models/qwen3.5)
- [LM Studio 0.4.6: Qwen3.5 document-chat template fix](https://lmstudio.ai/changelog/lmstudio/lmstudio-v0.4.6)
- [LM Studio maintainer: Qwen3.5 engine support and reported loading issues](https://github.com/lmstudio-ai/lmstudio-bug-tracker/issues/1606)
- [Ollama context length and memory use](https://docs.ollama.com/context-length)
- [LM Studio: downloading the selected model](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/basics/download-model)
- [LM Studio: importing local GGUF files](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/advanced/import-model)
- [LM Studio: desktop setup](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/basics)
- [LM Studio per-model settings](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/advanced/per-model)
- [LM Studio: prompt templates](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/advanced/prompt-template)
- [LM Studio: documented image attachment workflow](https://lmstudio.ai/blog/lmstudio-v0.3.0)
- [LM Studio offline operation](https://lmstudio.ai/docs/app/offline)

## Continue exploring

- [Choose another Starter Shelf task](https://brightaifuture.com/open-models#starter-shelf)
- [Try the existing text-model setup guide](https://brightaifuture.com/guides/run-ai-on-your-computer)