Can I Run Mistral Small 3.1 on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080?

Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated March 17, 2025

Only with offload — Mistral Small 3.1 spills onto CPU/system RAM on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Specs

VRAM16 GB
Memory Bandwidth960 GB/s

Why It Does Not Fit

Every Mistral Small 3.1 variant requires more VRAM than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 provides (16 GB).

Nearest GPU That Fits

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB VRAM).

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB
Launch MSRP: $899
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 ~15 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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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

Mistral Small 3.1 on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 — does it fit?

Only with offload — Mistral Small 3.1 spills onto CPU/system RAM on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16 GB), so expect a large speed penalty.

What GPU should I get instead to 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 5080

VRAM Tier

Troubleshooting

Buying Guide

← Can I Run It? | Mistral Small 3.1 Model Page | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU Page | Check Your Hardware