diff --git a/gpu/gpu.go b/gpu/gpu.go
index b9f6e4e0..45b55ffb 100644
--- a/gpu/gpu.go
+++ b/gpu/gpu.go
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ type handles struct {
 var gpuMutex sync.Mutex
 var gpuHandles *handles = nil
 
+// TODO verify this is the correct min version
+const CudaComputeMajorMin = 5
+
 // Note: gpuMutex must already be held
 func initGPUHandles() {
 	// TODO - if the ollama build is CPU only, don't do these checks as they're irrelevant and confusing
@@ -73,7 +76,18 @@ func GetGPUInfo() GpuInfo {
 			log.Printf("error looking up CUDA GPU memory: %s", C.GoString(memInfo.err))
 			C.free(unsafe.Pointer(memInfo.err))
 		} else {
-			resp.Library = "cuda"
+			// Verify minimum compute capability
+			var cc C.cuda_compute_capability_t
+			C.cuda_compute_capability(*gpuHandles.cuda, &cc)
+			if cc.err != nil {
+				log.Printf("error looking up CUDA GPU compute capability: %s", C.GoString(cc.err))
+				C.free(unsafe.Pointer(cc.err))
+			} else if cc.major >= CudaComputeMajorMin {
+				log.Printf("CUDA Compute Capability detected: %d.%d", cc.major, cc.minor)
+				resp.Library = "cuda"
+			} else {
+				log.Printf("CUDA GPU is too old. Falling back to CPU mode. Compute Capability detected: %d.%d", cc.major, cc.minor)
+			}
 		}
 	} else if gpuHandles.rocm != nil {
 		C.rocm_check_vram(*gpuHandles.rocm, &memInfo)
diff --git a/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.c b/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.c
index f071f909..9dc97bd9 100644
--- a/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.c
+++ b/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const char *cuda_lib_paths[] = {
 };
 #endif
 
-#define CUDA_LOOKUP_SIZE 5
+#define CUDA_LOOKUP_SIZE 6
 
 void cuda_init(cuda_init_resp_t *resp) {
   nvmlReturn_t ret;
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ void cuda_init(cuda_init_resp_t *resp) {
       {"nvmlDeviceGetHandleByIndex", (void *)&resp->ch.getHandle},
       {"nvmlDeviceGetMemoryInfo", (void *)&resp->ch.getMemInfo},
       {"nvmlDeviceGetCount_v2", (void *)&resp->ch.getCount},
+      {"nvmlDeviceGetCudaComputeCapability", (void *)&resp->ch.getComputeCapability},
   };
 
   for (i = 0; cuda_lib_paths[i] != NULL && resp->ch.handle == NULL; i++) {
@@ -123,4 +124,53 @@ void cuda_check_vram(cuda_handle_t h, mem_info_t *resp) {
     resp->free += memInfo.free;
   }
 }
+
+void cuda_compute_capability(cuda_handle_t h, cuda_compute_capability_t *resp) {
+  resp->err = NULL;
+  resp->major = 0;
+  resp->minor = 0;
+  nvmlDevice_t device;
+  int major = 0;
+  int minor = 0;
+  nvmlReturn_t ret;
+  const int buflen = 256;
+  char buf[buflen + 1];
+  int i;
+
+  if (h.handle == NULL) {
+    resp->err = strdup("nvml handle not initialized");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  unsigned int devices;
+  ret = (*h.getCount)(&devices);
+  if (ret != NVML_SUCCESS) {
+    snprintf(buf, buflen, "unable to get device count: %d", ret);
+    resp->err = strdup(buf);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  for (i = 0; i < devices; i++) {
+    ret = (*h.getHandle)(i, &device);
+    if (ret != NVML_SUCCESS) {
+      snprintf(buf, buflen, "unable to get device handle %d: %d", i, ret);
+      resp->err = strdup(buf);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    ret = (*h.getComputeCapability)(device, &major, &minor);
+    if (ret != NVML_SUCCESS) {
+      snprintf(buf, buflen, "device compute capability lookup failure %d: %d", i, ret);
+      resp->err = strdup(buf);
+      return;
+    }
+    // Report the lowest major.minor we detect as that limits our compatibility
+    if (resp->major == 0 || resp->major > major ) {
+      resp->major = major;
+      resp->minor = minor;
+    } else if ( resp->major == major && resp->minor > minor ) {
+      resp->minor = minor;
+    }
+  }
+}
 #endif  // __APPLE__
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.h b/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.h
index 9a66a735..81995ab2 100644
--- a/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.h
+++ b/gpu/gpu_info_cuda.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ typedef struct cuda_handle {
   nvmlReturn_t (*getHandle)(unsigned int, nvmlDevice_t *);
   nvmlReturn_t (*getMemInfo)(nvmlDevice_t, nvmlMemory_t *);
   nvmlReturn_t (*getCount)(unsigned int *);
+  nvmlReturn_t (*getComputeCapability)(nvmlDevice_t, int* major, int* minor);
 } cuda_handle_t;
 
 typedef struct cuda_init_resp {
@@ -29,8 +30,15 @@ typedef struct cuda_init_resp {
   cuda_handle_t ch;
 } cuda_init_resp_t;
 
+typedef struct cuda_compute_capability {
+  char *err;
+  int major;
+  int minor;
+} cuda_compute_capability_t;
+
 void cuda_init(cuda_init_resp_t *resp);
 void cuda_check_vram(cuda_handle_t ch, mem_info_t *resp);
+void cuda_compute_capability(cuda_handle_t ch, cuda_compute_capability_t *cc);
 
 #endif  // __GPU_INFO_CUDA_H__
 #endif  // __APPLE__
\ No newline at end of file