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Head-to-head · phi

Phi-4-mini 3.8B vs Phi-4 14B

Phi-4-mini 3.8B needs ~3.8 GB at Q4_K_M; Phi-4 14B needs ~10.8 GB. That ~7 GB gap decides which hardware runs each; they differ on 6 of the 14 devices below.

Spec Phi-4-mini 3.8B Phi-4 14B
Parameters3.8B14B
Memory at Q4_K_M~3.8 GB~10.8 GB
Context window128k16k
LMArenanot rankedElo 1256
LicenseMITMIT

Which devices run each

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

Size at each quantization

Quant Phi-4-mini 3.8B Phi-4 14B
Q2_K 1.6 GB* 5.9 GB*
Q3_K_M 1.9 GB* 6.8 GB*
Q4_K_M 2.49 GB 9.05 GB
Q5_K_M 2.7 GB* 10 GB*
Q6_K 3.1 GB* 11.5 GB*
Q8_0 4.08 GB 15.58 GB
FP16 7.6 GB* 28 GB*

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

Bottom line

The larger Phi-4 14B needs ~10.8 GB; Phi-4-mini 3.8B runs on lighter hardware at ~3.8 GB with more headroom and faster responses. Check each against your exact device: what runs Phi-4-mini 3.8B · what runs Phi-4 14B.

FAQ

What is the difference in memory between Phi-4-mini 3.8B and Phi-4 14B?

At Q4_K_M, Phi-4-mini 3.8B needs about 3.8 GB and Phi-4 14B needs about 10.8 GB, a difference of ~7 GB.

Should I run Phi-4-mini 3.8B or Phi-4 14B?

Run Phi-4 14B if your hardware has the ~10.8 GB it needs and you want maximum quality; run Phi-4-mini 3.8B (~3.8 GB) for lighter hardware, faster responses, and more memory headroom.

Full breakdowns: Phi-4-mini 3.8B · Phi-4 14B · all models × devices.

Sources

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