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Head-to-head · Mistral

Mistral Nemo 12B vs Mixtral 8x7B

Mistral Nemo 12B needs ~8.6 GB at Q4_K_M; Mixtral 8x7B needs ~28.9 GB. That ~20.3 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 5 of the 14 devices below.

Spec Mistral Nemo 12B Mixtral 8x7B
Parameters12.2B46.7B MoE
Memory at Q4_K_M~8.6 GB~28.9 GB
Context window128k32k
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 Mixtral 8x7B
Q2_K 5.1 GB* 19.6 GB*
Q3_K_M 6 GB* 22.8 GB*
Q4_K_M 6.96 GB 26.49 GB
Q5_K_M 8.7 GB* 33.3 GB*
Q6_K 10 GB* 38.3 GB*
Q8_0 12.13 GB 46.22 GB
FP16 24.4 GB* 93.4 GB*

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

Bottom line

The larger Mixtral 8x7B needs ~28.9 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 Mixtral 8x7B.

More Mistral comparisons

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Mistral Nemo 12B and Mixtral 8x7B?

At Q4_K_M, Mistral Nemo 12B needs about 8.6 GB and Mixtral 8x7B needs about 28.9 GB, a difference of ~20.3 GB.

Should I run Mistral Nemo 12B or Mixtral 8x7B?

Run Mixtral 8x7B if your hardware has the ~28.9 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 · Mixtral 8x7B · all models × devices.

Sources

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