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Head-to-head · Mistral

Mistral Nemo 12B vs Mistral Small 3.1 24B

Mistral Nemo 12B needs ~8.6 GB at Q4_K_M; Mistral Small 3.1 24B needs ~15.4 GB. That ~6.8 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 4 of the 14 devices below.

Spec Mistral Nemo 12B Mistral Small 3.1 24B
Parameters12.2B24B
Memory at Q4_K_M~8.6 GB~15.4 GB
Context window128k128k
LMArenanot rankednot 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 Nemo 12B Mistral Small 3.1 24B
Q2_K 5.1 GB* 10.1 GB*
Q3_K_M 6 GB* 11.7 GB*
Q4_K_M 6.96 GB 13.35 GB
Q5_K_M 8.7 GB* 17.1 GB*
Q6_K 10 GB* 19.7 GB*
Q8_0 12.13 GB 23.33 GB
FP16 24.4 GB* 47.15 GB

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

Bottom line

The larger Mistral Small 3.1 24B needs ~15.4 GB; Mistral Nemo 12B runs on lighter hardware at ~8.6 GB with more headroom and faster responses. Check each against your exact device: what runs Mistral Nemo 12B · what runs Mistral Small 3.1 24B.

More Mistral comparisons

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Mistral Nemo 12B and Mistral Small 3.1 24B?

At Q4_K_M, Mistral Nemo 12B needs about 8.6 GB and Mistral Small 3.1 24B needs about 15.4 GB, a difference of ~6.8 GB.

Should I run Mistral Nemo 12B or Mistral Small 3.1 24B?

Run Mistral Small 3.1 24B if your hardware has the ~15.4 GB it needs and you want maximum quality; run Mistral Nemo 12B (~8.6 GB) for lighter hardware, faster responses, and more memory headroom.

Full breakdowns: Mistral Nemo 12B · Mistral Small 3.1 24B · all models × devices.

Sources

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