Mistral AI5 local models

Mistral Models: Efficient Local AI

Mistral AI from Paris builds some of the most efficient open models available. Their 7B model punches well above its weight, and Codestral is purpose-built for coding tasks. If you want maximum quality from limited RAM, Mistral models are a top pick.

Developer

Mistral AI

Models

5

Size Range

7B – 46.7B

RAM Range

10 – 36 GB

Key Features

✓Excellent performance-per-parameter ratio
✓Sliding window attention for efficiency
✓Strong instruction following
✓Codestral specialized for coding

All Mistral Models

ModelSizeQuantVRAMMin RAMBest ForQualityOllama
Mistral 7B Instruct7BQ4_K_M5.5 GB10 GBChat, Coding
78
Mistral Nemo 12B12BQ4_K_M9.5 GB18 GBChat, Translation
88
Mistral Small 22B22BQ4_K_M17 GB26 GBCoding, Quality
92
Mistral Small 3.124BQ4_K_M15 GB24 GBChat, Coding
88
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct46.7BQ4_K_M30 GB36 GBCoding, Quality
95

Device Compatibility

Which Mistral models can run on each device class, based on minimum RAM requirements.

ModeliPhoneAirProStudioMini
Mistral 7B Instruct (7B)PossiblePossibleExcellentExcellentExcellent
Mistral Nemo 12B (12B)NoPossiblePossibleExcellentPossible
Mistral Small 22B (22B)NoPossiblePossiblePossiblePossible
Mistral Small 3.1 (24B)NoPossiblePossiblePossiblePossible
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct (46.7B)NoNoPossiblePossiblePossible

RAM Requirements

Mistral 7B Instruct
5.5 GB
min 10 GB
Mistral Nemo 12B
9.5 GB
min 18 GB
Mistral Small 22B
17 GB
min 26 GB
Mistral Small 3.1
15 GB
min 24 GB
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct
30 GB
min 36 GB

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Mistral model for 16GB RAM?+
Mistral Nemo 12B Q4 is the best fit, using about 8.5GB. If you want something lighter, Mistral 7B Q4 uses 5.5GB and still delivers strong results.
Is Codestral worth using for coding?+
Yes. Codestral 22B is specifically trained for code generation and performs better than general models of similar size. It needs 20GB RAM (Q4).
How does Mistral compare to Llama at 7B?+
Very close in benchmarks. Mistral 7B uses sliding window attention for better efficiency with long contexts. Llama 3.1 8B has a slight edge on reasoning tasks. Both are excellent choices.

Related Model Families

LlamaMetaQwenAlibaba CloudPhiMicrosoft

Getting Started

How to Set Up OllamaBest LLM for MacBookBrowse All DevicesModelFit Wizard