Can I Run Mistral Small 3 (24B) on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070?
Autor: Jakub Rusinowski · Ostatnia aktualizacja: 12 lipca 2026
No. 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 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has only 8 GB. No quantization we publish closes a gap that size.
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The numbers
| Model | Mistral Small 3 (24B) |
| Parameters | 24B |
| Quantization | Q4_K_M |
| VRAM needed (8K context) | 17.2 GB |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 VRAM | 8 GB |
| Verdict | Does not fit |
Mistral Small 3 (24B) on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070: VRAM by quantization
| Quant | VRAM needed | Fits 8 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 | ✗ No | — | Build for this |
| Q3_K_M | 12.9 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
| Q2_K | 10.6 GB | ✗ No | — | — |
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 8 GB. 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 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070: 8K 17.2 GB ✗ · 32K 22.8 GB ✗. Past 8K it no longer fits 8 GB — a q8_0 KV cache buys roughly half of that back, which the calculator will price for you.
What to do next
Either step down to a smaller size in this family, or move to a AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB), the card with the least memory we track that holds it.
No compatible GPU? Mistral Small 3 (24B) on 24 GB of system RAM, CPU only: runs comfortably.
Cheapest card we track with enough VRAM for Mistral Small 3 (24B):
Mistral Small 3 (24B) needs ~17 GB but this GPU has 8 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 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
- Mistral NeMo 12B — runs at a lower quant (9.4 GB)
Mistral Small 3 (24B) on nearby hardware
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB) (10 GB) — does not fit
All Mistral Family sizes on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 | Mistral Small 3 (24B) model page | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU page | VRAM calculator | Check your hardware