Would CUDA be a better path than Intel Arc A380 6GB for DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B?

Often yes, if your goal is the easiest setup and the widest runtime support. Intel can offer attractive memory capacity, but CUDA still tends to win on tooling maturity, guides, kernels, and model coverage for local AI.

Can DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B run on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B feels slow on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

Add more VRAM headroom. The first useful upgrade is more dedicated VRAM so you can fit the model without shrinking context or dropping to a much lower quant.

NO — Won't Fit

F0Won't run

Estimated from fit model

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B needs ~24.9 GB but Intel Arc A380 6GB only has 6.0 GB. Try a smaller quantization or lighter model.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: No fitBandwidth: Very lowStack: StandardBottleneck: Memory capacity

Operating mode

Choose the run profile you care about

Interactive favors responsiveness, while light API and scale-out lean harder on serving readiness. The fit stays the same, but the recommendation lens changes.

Current mode

Balanced

Balanced for general local use. Keeps the ranking neutral across personal and serving workflows.

Capabilities:

Select quantization to explore

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 24.9 GB, exceeds 6.0 GB available

24.9 GB required6.0 GB available

415% VRAM needed

18.9 GB over capacity — needs offload or smaller quantization

Fit status

Too heavy

Decode

2.0 tok/s

TTFT

96800 ms

Safe context

Memory

24.9 GB / 6.0 GB

Offload

80%

Memory breakdown

Weights19.5 GB

KV Cache3.9 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom0.6 GB

See how fast it feels

With memory offload — actual speed may be lower

See how fast it feelsDeepSeek R1 Distill 32B on Intel Arc A380 6GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Solve: If a train travels at 60 mph for 2.5 hours, how far does it go?
Let me work through this step by step.

Given information:
  - Speed = 60 mph (miles per hour)
  - Time  = 2.5 hours

Formula: Distance = Speed x Time

Calculation:
  Distance = 60 mph x 2.5 h
           = 150 miles

The train travels 150 miles.

Double-check: at 60 mph the train covers 60 miles each hour. In half an hour it covers 30 miles. So in 2.5 hours: 60 + 60 + 30 = 150 miles. Confirmed.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>What if the train stops for 20 minutes halfway?
The stop doesn't change the total distance covered while moving, but it affects total trip time.

Breakdown:
  - First half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles
  - Stop: 20 minutes (no distance)
  - Second half: 1.25 hours at 60 mph = 75 miles

Total distance: 150 miles (same)
Total time: 2.5 h + 0.33 h = 2.83 hours
Average speed: 150 / 2.83 = 53 mph

The distance stays the same but average speed drops to 53 mph because of the stop.
Estimated: 2.0 tok/s decode · 96.8s TTFT (warm) · 5 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

Usable VRAM is the main blocker for this model.

Not enough usable memory

The model needs 24.9 GB, but this setup only exposes 6.0 GB of usable VRAM.

Runtime ecosystem is narrower than CUDA

Intel GPUs can look attractive on memory per dollar, but local AI tooling, kernels, and model coverage are still broader and easier on CUDA today.

Best improvement path

Add more VRAM headroom

The first useful upgrade is more dedicated VRAM so you can fit the model without shrinking context or dropping to a much lower quant.

Prefer CUDA if you want the path of least resistance

If your goal is maximum runtime coverage, easier troubleshooting, and better support for new local AI releases, CUDA is usually still the safer upgrade path.

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	52800 ms	4K
Coding	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	96800 ms	4K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	140800 ms	4K
Reasoning	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	114400 ms	4K
RAG	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	176000 ms	4K

Quantization options

How DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B (32B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc A380 6GB (6.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	12.5 GB	Low	F0
Q3_K_S	3	15.7 GB	Low	F0
NVFP4	4

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B well

Intel Arc Pro B60 24GBBest value

24 GB VRAM (+18)456 GB/s (+270)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.8.4 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Raises estimated decode speed by about 320%.

~$599 MSRP

NVIDIA A100 40GBBiggest leap

40 GB VRAM (+34)1555 GB/s (+1369)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.72.3 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

~$10,000 MSRP

Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GBBudget pick

128 GB VRAM (+122)3200 GB/s (+3014)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.111.5 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

~$15,000 MSRP

Gaudi 3 128GBIntel upgrade

128 GB VRAM (+122)3700 GB/s (+3514)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.143.3 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

~$15,000 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can Intel Arc A380 6GB run DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B?

No, DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B requires more memory than Intel Arc A380 6GB provides.

How much VRAM does DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B need?

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B (32B parameters) requires approximately 24.9 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B?

The recommended quantization for DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B run at on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

On Intel Arc A380 6GB, DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B achieves approximately 2.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 96800ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can Intel Arc A380 6GB run DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B for coding?

For coding workloads, DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B on Intel Arc A380 6GB receives a F grade with 2.0 tok/s and 4K context.

What context window can DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B use on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

On Intel Arc A380 6GB, DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B can safely use up to 4K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 33K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

See all results for Intel Arc A380 6GB See all hardware for DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B

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