Z-Image-Turbo is a fast and lightweight 6B-parameter image generation model designed for ultra-realistic results. With the GGUF version, you can run it directly inside ComfyUI without extra dependencies or complicated setup. This makes it ideal for users who want high-quality output on modest GPUs. In this article, I’ll show how to download the GGUF model, load it in ComfyUI, and build a simple workflow to start generating images right away.
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Z-Image-Turbo Models
- GGUF Models: You can find the GGUF models here. You only need one model. I have a RTX 5090, and I use the Q8 variant. I downloaded z_image_turbo-Q8_0.gguf. If your GPU has less VRAM, consider the Q5 or Q4 variants. Put the GGUF model in ComfyUI\models\unet\ .
- Text Encoder: Download qwen_3_4b.safetensors and put it in ComfyUI\models\text_encoders\ .
- VAE: Download ae.safetensors and put it in ComfyUI\models\vae\ .
Z-Image-Turbo Installation
- Update your ComfyUI to the latest version if you haven’t already. (Run update\update_comfyui.bat for Windows). Depending on which gguf custom node you installed before, you also need to update the ComfyUI-GGUF or gguf custom node to the latest version if you have not updated it recently.
- Download the json file and open it using ComfyUI.
- Use ComfyUI Manager to install missing nodes.
- Restart ComfyUI.
Nodes
Select the GGUF model you downloaded here.
qwen_3_4b is used as the text encoder. Note that the type is lumina2.
Z-Image-Turbo uses Flux.1’s VAE.
Specify the image size here.
Z-Image-Turbo Examples
Ultra-realistic portrait of an East Asian woman with warm natural skin tone, soft diffused daylight, crisp facial details, natural pores and fine hair texture, minimal makeup, slight smile, smooth gradient background, shallow depth of field, cinematic realism, perfect color accuracy, lifelike eyes, gentle catchlights, high dynamic range, 8K photo aesthetic.
Hyper-realistic close-up portrait of a Black man with deep rich skin texture, natural sheen, tight curls, expressive warm eyes, subtle facial hair, precise shadows, Rembrandt lighting, extremely detailed pores, realistic highlights, neutral dark background, professional portrait look, ultra-sharp realism.
Ultra-detailed portrait of a South Asian woman wearing traditional gold earrings, soft warm skin tone, intricate hair strands, authentic facial texture, natural makeup, ambient window light, soft bokeh background, lifelike colors, elegant realism, 8K clarity, professional studio depth of field.
Photorealistic portrait of a Latino man with defined jawline, subtle beard texture, sun-kissed skin, detailed pores, warm directional sunlight, slight backlight rim on hair, soft bokeh city background, crisp sharp focus on the eyes, authentic natural expression, HDR realism.
Ultra-realistic portrait of a Middle Eastern woman with expressive eyes, long dark hair, smooth warm olive skin tone, subtle makeup, natural reflections in the eyes, fine eyebrow details, high-precision lighting, matte background, strong facial realism, soft cinematic shadows.
Photorealistic street portrait of a stylish mixed-race woman walking in a city street at golden hour. Natural skin texture, warm highlights, realistic hair movement, soft bokeh from street lights, high contrast rim light, accurate shadows, natural expression, 8K fashion photography feel.
Ultra-realistic portrait of an elderly Asian man with deep wrinkles, expressive eyes, natural skin texture, gray hair strands, soft diffused lighting, high dynamic range, detailed pores and lines, subtle smile, neutral studio background, lifelike realism.
Conclusion
Z-Image-Turbo GGUF fits perfectly into a ComfyUI workflow if you need realistic images with fast inference times. After loading the GGUF file and connecting it to your sampler, the rest of the process is quick and straightforward. Whether you are generating portraits, testing lighting, or exploring creative ideas, the model delivers impressive realism on consumer hardware. As GGUF support grows, running efficient models like Z-Image-Turbo in ComfyUI will become even more convenient.
References
Z-Image
https://z-image.ai
https://z-image-turbo.ai
GGUF Format
https://github.com/ggerganov/ggml
https://github.com/ggerganov/llama.cpp/tree/master/gguf
ComfyUI
https://github.com/comfyanonymous/ComfyUI
https://comfyui.org
Model Hosting
https://huggingface.co
https://civitai.com
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