Can I Run Mistral Small 3.1 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)?

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026

No — 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), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)'s 10 GB leaves it ~6.4 GB short. The cheapest card that runs it is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB).

Get a personalized upgrade path →

Buy this hardware AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB — 20 GB VRAM · 315 W board powerDeploy in the cloud now RTX 4090 on RunPod — from $0.34/hr · rate checked 2026-07

or compare on Vast.ai from $0.35/hr (typical low · varies)

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Cloud GPU links are referral links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you buy through them, LLM Configurator may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, LLM Configurator earns from qualifying purchases.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) Specs

VRAM10 GB
Memory Bandwidth760 GB/s

Mistral Small 3.1 24B on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB): VRAM by quantization

QuantVRAM neededFits 10 GB?Max contextWhole PC
F1649.3 GB✗ No——
Q8_027.2 GB✗ No—Build for this
Q6_K21.5 GB✗ No——
Q5_K_M18.9 GB✗ No——
Q4_K_M16.4 GB✗ No—Build for this
Q3_K_M12.2 GB✗ No——
Q2_K9.9 GB✓ Yes8K—

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 10 GB. Figures are estimates from parameter count, quantization and memory bandwidth — the analyzer lets you tune KV-cache quant and context.

Superseded model. Mistral Small 3.1 has been superseded by Mistral Small 3.2. This page is kept for reference; the newer family is a better starting point. Mistral Small 3.2 needs at least 16.7 GB at Q4_K_M with an 8K context, so it does not fit the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB).

Context costs VRAM too. At Q4_K_M on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB): 8K 16.4 GB ✗ · 32K 20.4 GB ✗ · 125K 36 GB ✗. Past 8K it no longer fits 10 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.

Why It Does Not Fit

Every Mistral Small 3.1 variant requires more VRAM than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) provides (10 GB).

Nearest GPU That Fits

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM).

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB
20 GB VRAM · 315 W board power
2026 prices are volatile — check the current listing.
Check price on Amazon
Won't fit — rent Mistral Small 3.1 instead

Mistral Small 3.1 needs ~16 GB but this GPU has 10 GB. Rent a RTX 4090 (24 GB)-class GPU by the hour instead of buying one:

Affiliate links — we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.

RunPod $0.34/hr
Rent on RunPod →
Vast.ai $0.35/hr · typical low · varies
Rent on Vast.ai →

Cloud rates verified 2026-07 — estimates, and marketplace prices vary. Buying price is GPU MSRP only, not a full PC.

FAQ

Does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) have enough VRAM for Mistral Small 3.1?

No — 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), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)'s 10 GB leaves it ~6.4 GB short. The cheapest card that runs it is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB).

Which GPU can actually run Mistral Small 3.1?

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM) is the cheapest upgrade that fits it.

Mistral Small 3.1 on Other GPUs

Popular Models on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB)

VRAM Tier

Troubleshooting

Buying Guide

← Can I Run It? | Mistral Small 3.1 Model Page | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) GPU Page | VRAM calculator | Check Your Hardware