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Head-to-head · Mistral

Ministral 3 14B vs Mistral Small 3 24B

Ministral 3 14B needs ~9.4 GB at Q4_K_M; Mistral Small 3 24B needs ~16.3 GB. That ~6.9 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 4 of the 11 devices below.

Spec Ministral 3 14B Mistral Small 3 24B
Parameters14B24B
Memory at Q4_K_M~9.4 GB~16.3 GB
Context window256k128k
LMArenanot rankedElo 1357
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 Ministral 3 14B Mistral Small 3 24B
Q2_K 5.9 GB* 10.1 GB*
Q3_K_M 6.8 GB* 11.7 GB*
Q4_K_M 7.67 GB 14.33 GB
Q5_K_M 10 GB* 17.1 GB*
Q6_K 11.5 GB* 19.7 GB*
Q8_0 13.37 GB 25.05 GB
FP16 27.02 GB 48 GB*

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

Bottom line

The larger Mistral Small 3 24B needs ~16.3 GB; Ministral 3 14B runs on lighter hardware at ~9.4 GB with more headroom and faster responses. Check each against your exact device: what runs Ministral 3 14B · what runs Mistral Small 3 24B.

More Mistral comparisons

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Ministral 3 14B and Mistral Small 3 24B?

At Q4_K_M, Ministral 3 14B needs about 9.4 GB and Mistral Small 3 24B needs about 16.3 GB, a difference of ~6.9 GB.

Should I run Ministral 3 14B or Mistral Small 3 24B?

Run Mistral Small 3 24B if your hardware has the ~16.3 GB it needs and you want maximum quality; run Ministral 3 14B (~9.4 GB) for lighter hardware, faster responses, and more memory headroom.

Full breakdowns: Ministral 3 14B · Mistral Small 3 24B · all models × devices.

Sources

Memory figures are estimates at Q4_K_M, validated 2026-09-07. See methodology.