Dolphin 2.9 8B needs ~9.3 GB VRAM. Intel Arc A770 16GB has 16.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~56 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
55.5 tok/s
TTFT
3488 ms
Safe context
33K
Memory
9.3 GB / 16.0 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 | 55.5 tok/s | 1902 ms | 33K |
| Coding | C | Runs well | 55.5 tok/s | 3488 ms | 33K |
| Agentic Coding | B | Runs well | 55.5 tok/s | 5073 ms | 33K |
| Reasoning | C | Runs well | 55.5 tok/s | 4122 ms | 33K |
| RAG | B | Runs well | 55.5 tok/s | 6341 ms | 33K |
How Dolphin 2.9 8B (8B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc A770 16GB (16.0 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 3.1 GB | Low | C48 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 3.9 GB | Low | C48 |
NVFP4 | 4 |
Copy-paste commands to run Dolphin 2.9 8B on your machine.
Run
ollama run dolphin-llama3Yes, Intel Arc A770 16GB can run Dolphin 2.9 8B with a C grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 55.5 tok/s.
Dolphin 2.9 8B (8B parameters) requires approximately 9.3 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.
The recommended quantization for Dolphin 2.9 8B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.
On Intel Arc A770 16GB, Dolphin 2.9 8B achieves approximately 55.5 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 3488ms using Q4_K_M quantization.
For coding workloads, Dolphin 2.9 8B on Intel Arc A770 16GB receives a C grade with 55.5 tok/s and 33K context.
On Intel Arc A770 16GB, Dolphin 2.9 8B 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/dolphin-2.9-8b-on-arc-a770-16gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>
Preview:
4.5 GB |
| Medium |
| C49 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 4.9 GB | Medium | C49 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 5.8 GB | High | C50 |
Q6_K | 6 | 6.6 GB | High | C51 |
Q8_0Best for your GPU | 8 | 8.6 GB | Very High | C52 |
F16 | 16 | 16.4 GB | Maximum | F0 |
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.