Would CUDA be a better path than Intel Arc A550M 8GB for starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1?

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 starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 run on Intel Arc A550M 8GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 feels slow on Intel Arc A550M 8GB?

Remove offload with more accelerator memory. Prioritize a GPU or unified-memory tier that fits the whole model natively. Removing offload usually helps more than small compute gains.

YES — With Q2_K

D36Poor

Estimated from fit model

starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 needs ~9.3 GB VRAM. Intel Arc A550M 8GB has 8.0 GB. With Q2_K quantization, expect ~9 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: OffloadBandwidth: Very lowStack: StandardBottleneck: Host offload

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.

starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 at Q4_K_M needs 12.6 GB — too much for Intel Arc A550M 8GB (8.0 GB). Runs at Q2_K (9.3 GB) with low quality.

Capabilities:

Select quantization to explore

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 12.6 GB, exceeds 8.0 GB available

12.6 GB required8.0 GB available

158% VRAM needed

4.6 GB over capacity — needs offload or smaller quantization

Fit status

Too heavy

Decode

3.5 tok/s

TTFT

56061 ms

Safe context

Memory

12.6 GB / 8.0 GB

Offload

40%

Memory breakdown

Weights9.2 GB

KV Cache1.8 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom0.8 GB

See how fast it feels

With memory offload — actual speed may be lower

See how fast it feelsstarcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 on Intel Arc A550M 8GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>Write a Python function to sort a list
Here's a Python function that sorts a list using quicksort:

def quicksort(arr):
    if len(arr) <= 1:
        return arr
    pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
    left   = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
    middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
    right  = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
    return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

# Example usage
numbers = [3, 6, 8, 10, 1, 2, 1]
print(quicksort(numbers))  # [1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10]

The algorithm picks a pivot, partitions the list into smaller, equal, and larger elements, then recursively sorts each partition and concatenates the results.
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>Now add type hints and a docstring
def quicksort(arr: list[int]) -> list[int]:
    """Sort a list using the quicksort algorithm.

    Args:
        arr: List of integers to sort.

    Returns:
        A new sorted list.
    """
    if len(arr) <= 1:
        return arr
    pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
    left   = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
    middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
    right  = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
    return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

Added type hints for the input and return type, plus a Google-style docstring.
Estimated: 3.5 tok/s decode · 56.1s TTFT (warm) · 9 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

It fits through host-memory offload, and offload is the main reason performance drops.

CPU or host-memory offload is active

About 10% of the working set spills out of accelerator memory, which usually hurts latency and sustained decode throughput.

Very little memory headroom

You can run the model, but there is not much room left for longer context, bigger batches, extra apps, or future model updates.

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

Remove offload with more accelerator memory

Prioritize a GPU or unified-memory tier that fits the whole model natively. Removing offload usually helps more than small compute gains.

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.

Buy headroom, not only minimum fit

A slightly larger memory tier gives you safer context growth and makes the recommendation more future-proof.

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	F	Too heavy	4.0 tok/s	26264 ms	4K
Coding	F	Too heavy	3.5 tok/s	56061 ms	4K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	2.6 tok/s	107328 ms	4K
Reasoning	F	Too heavy	3.5 tok/s	66254 ms	4K
RAG	F	Too heavy	2.6 tok/s	134160 ms	4K

Quantization options

How starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 (15B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc A550M 8GB (8.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	5.9 GB	Low	F0
Q3_K_S	3	7.4 GB	Low	F0
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 on your machine.

Run

lms load hf-bartowski--starcoder2-15b-instruct-v0-1-gguf && lms server start

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 well

Intel Arc B580 12GBBest value

12 GB VRAM (+4)456 GB/s (+232)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.15.5 tok/s decode

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

Raises estimated decode speed by about 343%.

~$249 MSRP

Intel Arc A770 16GBBudget pick

16 GB VRAM (+8)560 GB/s (+336)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.27.5 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.

~$349 MSRP

RTX A4500 20GBBiggest leap

20 GB VRAM (+12)640 GB/s (+416)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.54.6 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.

~$2,000 MSRP

Intel Arc A730M 12GBIntel upgrade

12 GB VRAM (+4)336 GB/s (+112)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.11.4 tok/s decode

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

Raises estimated decode speed by about 226%.

Frequently asked questions

Can Intel Arc A550M 8GB run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1?

Yes, Intel Arc A550M 8GB can run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 at Q2_K quantization (Very compromised (needs ~0.8 GB host RAM)). The recommended Q4_K_M requires 12.6 GB which exceeds available memory, but at Q2_K it needs only 9.3 GB. Expected decode speed: 8.7 tok/s.

How much VRAM does starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 need?

starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 (15B parameters) requires approximately 12.6 GB at Q4_K_M quantization. On Intel Arc A550M 8GB, it fits at Q2_K using 9.3 GB.

What is the best quantization for starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1?

The recommended quantization is Q4_K_M, but on Intel Arc A550M 8GB the best fitting quantization is Q2_K, which uses 9.3 GB.

What speed will starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 run at on Intel Arc A550M 8GB?

On Intel Arc A550M 8GB, starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 achieves approximately 8.7 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 22262ms using Q2_K quantization.

Can Intel Arc A550M 8GB run starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 for coding?

For coding workloads, starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 on Intel Arc A550M 8GB receives a F grade with 3.5 tok/s and 4K context.

What context window can starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 use on Intel Arc A550M 8GB?

On Intel Arc A550M 8GB, starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1 can safely use up to 4K tokens of context at Q2_K quantization. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

See all results for Intel Arc A550M 8GB See all hardware for starcoder2 15b instruct v0.1

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