Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026
Only with offload — Mistral Small 3.1 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 | 48.7 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q8_0 | 26.5 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q6_K | 20.8 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q5_K_M | 18.2 GB | ✗ No | — |
| Q4_K_M | 15.7 GB | ✓ Yes | 4K |
| Q3_K_M | 11.5 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K |
| Q2_K | 9.2 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 Mistral Small 3.1 variant requires more VRAM than the Apple M1 provides (16 GB).
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM).
Mistral Small 3.1 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 — Mistral Small 3.1 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.
← Can I Run It? | Mistral Small 3.1 Model Page | Apple M1 GPU Page | Check Your Hardware