Can I Run Mistral Small 3 (24B) on Apple M2?
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated July 12, 2026
Yes, but it's tight. Mistral Small 3 (24B) needs 17.2 GB at 8K context (14.5 GB weights + 2.7 GB KV cache/overhead) at Q4_K_M and the Apple M2 has 18 GB usable, leaving about 0.8 GB of headroom, at roughly 4 tok/s (estimated) with room for up to 8K of context.
See what else this hardware can run →
The numbers
| Model | Mistral Small 3 (24B) |
| Parameters | 24B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 17.2 GB |
| Apple M2 usable memory | 18 GB |
| Verdict | Runs |
| Max context | 8K |
| Estimated speed | ~4 tok/s |
Mistral Small 3 (24B) on the Apple M2: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 24 GB? | Max context | Whole PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F16 | 50.7 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q8_0 | 28.2 GB | ✗ No | — | Build for this |
| Q6_K | 22.4 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q5_K_M | 19.7 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q4_K_M | 17.2 GB | ✓ Yes | 8K | Build for this |
| Q3_K_M | 12.9 GB | ✓ Yes | 16K | — |
| Q2_K | 10.6 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 M2: 8K 17.2 GB · 32K 22.8 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.
What to do next
Nothing to change — run it at Q4_K_M. If you want more capability, check whether the next size up also fits.
No compatible GPU? Mistral Small 3 (24B) on 24 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs comfortably.
Running Mistral Small 3 (24B) on this card:
Mistral Small 3 (24B) needs ~17 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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Cloud rates verified 2026-07 — estimates, and marketplace prices vary. Buying price is GPU MSRP only, not a full PC.
Other Mistral Family sizes on the Apple M2
- Mistral NeMo 12B — runs (9.4 GB)
Mistral Small 3 (24B) on nearby hardware
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB) — runs
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32 GB) — runs
All Mistral Family sizes on the Apple M2 | Mistral Small 3 (24B) model page | Apple M2 GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware