Can I Run Mistral Small 3.1 on Apple M1?

Autor: Jakub Rusinowski · Ostatnia aktualizacja: 12 lipca 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 Apple M1's 12 GB usable memory leaves it ~4.4 GB short. The cheapest card that runs it is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB).

Get a personalized upgrade path →

Kup ten sprzęt AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB — 20 GB VRAM · 315 W board powerUruchom w chmurze RTX 4090 w RunPod — od $0.34/godz. · stawka sprawdzona 2026-07

lub porównaj w Vast.ai od $0.35/godz. (typical low · varies)

Jako partner Amazon zarabiamy na kwalifikujących się zakupach. Linki do chmurowych GPU są linkami polecającymi — możemy otrzymać prowizję bez dodatkowych kosztów dla Ciebie.

Ujawnienie afiliacyjne: Niektóre odnośniki na tej stronie to linki afiliacyjne — jeśli dokonasz zakupu za ich pośrednictwem, LLM Configurator może otrzymać prowizję bez dodatkowych kosztów dla Ciebie. Jako uczestnik programu Amazon Associates, LLM Configurator zarabia na kwalifikujących się zakupach.

Apple M1 Specs

VRAM16 GB unified memory
Memory Bandwidth68 GB/s

Mistral Small 3.1 24B on the Apple M1: VRAM by quantization

QuantVRAM neededFits 16 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✓ Yes16K—

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 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.

Superseded model. Mistral Small 3.1 has been superseded by Mistral Small 3.2.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 Apple M1.

Context costs VRAM too. At Q4_K_M on the Apple M1: 8K 16.4 GB ✗ · 32K 20.4 GB ✗ · 125K 36 GB ✗. Past 8K it no longer fits 16 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 Apple M1 provides (16 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
Ceny w 2026 są niestabilne — sprawdź aktualną ofertę.
Sprawdź cenę na Amazon
Won't fit — rent Mistral Small 3.1 instead

Mistral Small 3.1 needs ~16 GB but this GPU has 16 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 Apple M1 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 Apple M1's 12 GB usable memory leaves it ~4.4 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 Apple M1

VRAM Tier

Troubleshooting

Buying Guide

← Can I Run It? | Mistral Small 3.1 Model Page | Apple M1 GPU Page | VRAM calculator | Check Your Hardware