id: meta-llama__Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct__strategic
status: approved
name: Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct
org: meta-llama
source:
  kind: huggingface
  url: https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct
  revision: main
  model_card_url: https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct
  project_url: https://www.llama.com/
license:
  spdx: custom
  url: https://ai.meta.com/llama/license/
  allows_offline_retention: true
  allows_local_ops: true
  allows_fine_tune: true
  notes: "Llama Community License — review before commercial redistribution. Prefer Llama 4 open text sibling if it is clearly stronger at pull time."
profile:
  summary: "Strategic dense Llama 70B instruct — ecosystem-rich open reserve for multi-GPU."
  original_source: https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct
  use_cases:
    - "Future multi-GPU general instruct with mature Llama tooling"
    - "Portable dense alternative to giant MoE for lab upgrades"
    - "Ecosystem baselines (vLLM, llama.cpp, eval harnesses expect Llama ids)"
    - "Domain FT when Llama license fits the use"
  sweet_spots:
    - "S4 dense open with the broadest third-party tooling surface"
    - "More portable serve path than 600B-class MoE"
    - "Strong general instruct heritage in the 70B class"
  not_ideal_for:
    - "Current single-GPU daily ops (use 3B/8B R spine)"
    - "Uses forbidden by Llama Community License terms"
    - "Duplicate with Qwen-72B under tight quota — pick one first"
  capability_notes: >
    HF gated. Strategic dense pick. If Llama 4 open text weights supersede
    clearly, nominate successor and mark this entry superseded. License is not
    Apache — operator must re-read terms before redistribution.
swot:
  strengths:
    - "Huge ecosystem and ops familiarity"
    - "Solid 70B dense instruct quality"
    - "Easier multi-GPU dense story than MoE giants"
  weaknesses:
    - "Custom Llama license (not Apache/MIT)"
    - "HF gating friction for automated pulls"
    - "May lag peer open MoE on some benches"
  opportunities:
    - "First dense strategic if Qwen-72B is deferred"
    - "Broad eval comparability with published Llama numbers"
  threats:
    - "Llama 4 open may obsolete 3.3 quickly"
    - "Quota competition with Qwen-72B and S1 MoE"
size:
  total_bytes: 0
  total_human: "~140 GB fp16 / ~40 GB Q4 (estimate)"
hardware_class:
  min_vram_gb_q4: 40
  min_vram_gb_fp16: 140
  notes: "T3+ to run well; still valuable reserve for future multi-GPU."
axes: [A, B, C]
priority: high
collection:
  approved_by: "bernd"
  approved_at: "2026-07-28"
  downloaded_at: null
  downloaded_by: ""
  storage_path: ""
  brief_refs:
    - research/2026-07-24-nas-strategic-collection-plan.md
    - docs/decisions/2026-07-24-nas-strategic-reserve.md
reason: "S4 strategic dense — strong ecosystem 70B open instruct; more portable than full MoE for a future lab upgrade."
tags: [tier-s, strategic, dense, instruct, llama]
companions:
  - meta-llama__Llama-3.2-3B-Instruct__candidate
notes: "HF gated. If Llama 4 open weights supersede, nominate successor and supersede this entry."
history:
  - at: "2026-07-24"
    event: nominated
    by: operator-policy
    detail: "Strategic dense open for NAS capability reserve."
  - at: "2026-07-28"
    event: profile_swot_added
    by: grok
    detail: "schema 0.2 profile + SWOT."
  - at: "2026-07-28"
    event: approved
    by: bernd
    detail: "S4 dense Llama — deferred; gated + quota vs Qwen-72B"
  - at: "2026-07-28"
    event: collection_deferred
    by: grok
    detail: "S4 dense Llama — deferred; gated + quota vs Qwen-72B"