Can I Run Mistral Small 3.1 on Apple M3?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026
Yes, but it's tight — Mistral Small 3.1 24B at Q4_K_M needs 16.4 GB at 8K context (14.2 GB weights + 2.2 GB KV cache/overhead), leaving ~1.6 GB of the Apple M3's 18 GB usable memory, at ~4 tok/s (est.), with room for up to 16K context.
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Apple M3 Specs
| VRAM | 24 GB unified memory |
| Memory Bandwidth | 100 GB/s |
Mistral Small 3.1 24B on the Apple M3: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 24 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 49.3 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 27.2 GB | ✗ No | — | Build for this |
| Q6_K | 21.5 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q5_K_M | 18.9 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q4_K_M | 16.4 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | Build for this |
| Q3_K_M | 12.2 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
| Q2_K | 9.9 GB | ✓ Yes | 32K | — |
Assumes an 8K-token context with an f16 KV cache. A longer window needs more; a quantized KV cache needs less. “Max context” is the largest window that still fits in 24 GB of unified memory. 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 Apple M3: 8K 16.4 GB · 32K 20.4 GB ✗ · 125K 36 GB ✗. Past 32K it no longer fits 24 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
No compatible GPU? Mistral Small 3.1 24B on 16 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs, but it is tight.
Mistral Small 3.1 Sizes That Fit the Apple M3 (at 8K context)
| Mistral Small 3.1 24B | Q4_K_M · 16.4 GB at 8K context · ~4 tok/s (est.) |
Mistral Small 3.1 needs ~16 GB but this GPU has 24 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:
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FAQ
Can I run Mistral Small 3.1 on the Apple M3?
Yes, but it's tight — Mistral Small 3.1 24B at Q4_K_M needs 16.4 GB at 8K context (14.2 GB weights + 2.2 GB KV cache/overhead), leaving ~1.6 GB of the Apple M3's 18 GB usable memory, at ~4 tok/s (est.), with room for up to 16K context.
What's the best Mistral Small 3.1 size for the Apple M3?
Mistral Small 3.1 24B at Q4_K_M quantization needs 16.4 GB at 8K context (14.2 GB weights + 2.2 GB KV cache/overhead), estimated ~4 tokens/sec, up to 16K context.
Mistral Small 3.1 on Other GPUs
- Mistral Small 3.1 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
- Mistral Small 3.1 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
- Mistral Small 3.1 on AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- Mistral Small 3.1 on Apple M4 Pro
- Mistral Small 3.1 on Apple M2
VRAM Tier
Troubleshooting
- Ollama: "model requires more system memory than is available"
- Which GGUF quant should I download? (Q4 vs Q5 vs Q8)
Buying Guide
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