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Head-to-head · Mistral

Mistral 7B vs Magistral Small

Mistral 7B needs ~5.8 GB at Q4_K_M; Magistral Small needs ~16 GB. That ~10.2 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 6 of the 14 devices below.

Spec Mistral 7B Magistral Small
Parameters7B24B
Memory at Q4_K_M~5.8 GB~16 GB
Context window32k40k
LMArenaElo 1149not ranked
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0

Which devices run each

A representative spread across the memory range. Tap a verdict for the full breakdown.

Size at each quantization

Quant Mistral 7B Magistral Small
Q2_K 2.9 GB* 10.1 GB*
Q3_K_M 3.4 GB* 11.7 GB*
Q4_K_M 4.37 GB 14 GB
Q5_K_M 5 GB* 17.1 GB*
Q6_K 5.7 GB* 19.7 GB*
Q8_0 7.7 GB 25 GB
FP16 14 GB* 47 GB

* derived from bits-per-weight; unstarred sizes are measured GGUF files.

Bottom line

The larger Magistral Small needs ~16 GB; Mistral 7B runs on lighter hardware at ~5.8 GB with more headroom and faster responses. Check each against your exact device: what runs Mistral 7B · what runs Magistral Small.

More Mistral comparisons

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Mistral 7B and Magistral Small?

At Q4_K_M, Mistral 7B needs about 5.8 GB and Magistral Small needs about 16 GB, a difference of ~10.2 GB.

Should I run Mistral 7B or Magistral Small?

Run Magistral Small if your hardware has the ~16 GB it needs and you want maximum quality; run Mistral 7B (~5.8 GB) for lighter hardware, faster responses, and more memory headroom.

Full breakdowns: Mistral 7B · Magistral Small · all models × devices.

Sources

Memory figures are estimates at Q4_K_M, validated 2026-08-03. See methodology.