Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated September 6, 2026
Only with offload — Magistral Small spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M1 (16 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.
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| VRAM | 16 GB unified memory |
| Memory Bandwidth | 68 GB/s |
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 16 GB? | Max context |
|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 49.6 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q8_0 | 27.1 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q6_K | 21.3 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q5_K_M | 18.6 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q4_K_M | 16.1 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q3_K_M | 11.9 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K |
| Q2_K | 9.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K |
VRAM needed assumes a 4K-token context with an f16 KV cache; “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 16 GB of unified memory. Figures are estimates from parameter count, quantization and memory bandwidth — the analyzer lets you tune KV-cache quant and context.
Every Magistral Small variant requires more VRAM than the Apple M1 provides (16 GB).
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM).
Magistral Small needs ~14 GB but this GPU has 16 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:
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Cloud rates verified 2026-07 — estimates, and marketplace prices vary. Buying price is GPU MSRP only, not a full PC.
Only with offload — Magistral Small spills onto CPU/system RAM on the Apple M1 (16 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM) is the cheapest upgrade that fits it.
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