Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GBBudget pick
256 GB Unified (+128)
C
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.21 tok/s decode
Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.
~$6,999 MSRP
DeepSeek R1 1.5B needs ~15.0 GB VRAM. Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB has 128.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~21 tok/s.
Operating mode
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.
Select quantization to explore
Fit status
Runs well
Decode
21.0 tok/s
TTFT
9219 ms
Safe context
33K
Memory
15.0 GB / 128.0 GB
The raw memory story may look fine, but the software ecosystem is still a constraint here.
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.
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.
| Workload | Grade | Fit | Decode | TTFT | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chat | C | Runs well | 21.0 tok/s | 5029 ms | 33K |
| Coding | C | Runs well | 21.0 tok/s | 9219 ms | 33K |
| Agentic Coding | C | Runs well | 21.0 tok/s | 13410 ms | 33K |
| Reasoning | C | Runs well | 21.0 tok/s | 10895 ms | 33K |
| RAG | C | Runs well | 21.0 tok/s | 16762 ms | 33K |
How DeepSeek R1 1.5B (1.5B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB (128.0 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 0.6 GB | Low | C49 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 0.7 GB | Low | C49 |
NVFP4 | 4 |
Copy-paste commands to run DeepSeek R1 1.5B on your machine.
Run
ollama run deepseek-r1:1.5bUpgrade options
Yes, Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB can run DeepSeek R1 1.5B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 21.0 tok/s.
DeepSeek R1 1.5B (1.5B parameters) requires approximately 15.0 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.
The recommended quantization for DeepSeek R1 1.5B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.
On Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB, DeepSeek R1 1.5B achieves approximately 21.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 9219ms using Q4_K_M quantization.
For coding workloads, DeepSeek R1 1.5B on Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB receives a C grade with 21.0 tok/s and 33K context.
On Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 128GB, DeepSeek R1 1.5B can safely use up to 33K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 33K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.
Paste this snippet into any page to show a live fit card.
<iframe src="https://willitrunai.com/embed/deepseek-r1-distill-qwen-1.5b-on-max-1550-128gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>
Preview:
0.8 GB |
| Medium |
| C49 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 0.9 GB | Medium | C49 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 1.1 GB | High | C49 |
Q6_K | 6 | 1.2 GB | High | C49 |
Q8_0 | 8 | 1.6 GB | Very High | C49 |
F16Best for your GPU | 16 | 3.1 GB | Maximum | C49 |
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.
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.