Can I Run Magistral Small on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated September 6, 2026
No — Magistral Small 24B at Q4_K_M needs 17 GB at 8K context (14.5 GB weights + 2.5 GB KV cache/overhead), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060's 8 GB leaves it ~9 GB short. The cheapest card that runs it is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB).
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Specs
| VRAM | 8 GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448 GB/s |
Magistral Small 24B on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 8 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 50.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 28 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q6_K | 22.2 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q5_K_M | 19.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q4_K_M | 17 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q3_K_M | 12.7 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q2_K | 10.4 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
Assumes an 8K-token context with an f16 KV cache, on an estimated architecture — this model publishes no config we can read. A longer window needs more; a quantized KV cache needs less. “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 8 GB. Figures are estimates from parameter count, quantization and memory bandwidth — the analyzer lets you tune KV-cache quant and context.
Context costs VRAM too. At Q4_K_M on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060: 8K 17 GB ✗ · 32K 22 GB ✗ · 128K 42.1 GB ✗. Past 8K it no longer fits 8 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
No compatible GPU? Magistral Small 24B on 16 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Why It Does Not Fit
Every Magistral Small variant requires more VRAM than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 provides (8 GB).
Nearest GPU That Fits
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM).
Magistral Small needs ~17 GB but this GPU has 8 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:
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FAQ
Does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 have enough VRAM for Magistral Small?
No — Magistral Small 24B at Q4_K_M needs 17 GB at 8K context (14.5 GB weights + 2.5 GB KV cache/overhead), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060's 8 GB leaves it ~9 GB short. The cheapest card that runs it is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB).
Which GPU can actually run Magistral Small?
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM) is the cheapest upgrade that fits it.
Magistral Small on Other GPUs
- Magistral Small on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB
- Magistral Small on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
- Magistral Small on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
- Magistral Small on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- Magistral Small on AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB
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VRAM Tier
Troubleshooting
- CUDA out of memory — why it happens and how to fix it
- Which GGUF quant should I download? (Q4 vs Q5 vs Q8)
Buying Guide
← Can I Run It? | Magistral Small Model Page | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU Page | VRAM calculator | Check Your Hardware