SmolVLM 500M Instruct needs ~2.2 GB VRAM. Intel Arc A550M 8GB has 8.0 GB. With Q6_K quantization, expect ~7 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
7.0 tok/s
TTFT
27657 ms
Safe context
942K
Memory
2.2 GB / 8.0 GB
This model fits, but memory bandwidth is the part holding decode speed back.
Throughput will feel slow
Estimated decode speed is only 7.0 tok/s, so this is more of a technical fit than a comfortable daily-driver setup.
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.
Prioritize bandwidth, not only capacity
If this workload feels slow, the next useful step is often a GPU tier with materially faster memory bandwidth rather than only a small bump in capacity.
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 | D | Runs well | 7.0 tok/s | 15086 ms | 471K |
| Coding | D | Runs well | 7.0 tok/s | 27657 ms | 942K |
| Agentic Coding | D | Runs well | 7.0 tok/s | 40229 ms | 1.6M |
| Reasoning | D | Runs well | 7.0 tok/s | 32686 ms | 942K |
| RAG | D | Runs well | 7.0 tok/s | 50286 ms | 1.6M |
How SmolVLM 500M Instruct (0.5B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc A550M 8GB (8.0 GB usable).
| Quant | Bits | VRAM | Quality | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q2_K | 2 | 0.2 GB | Low | C49 |
Q3_K_S | 3 | 0.2 GB | Low | C49 |
NVFP4 | 4 |
Copy-paste commands to run SmolVLM 500M Instruct on your machine.
Run
docker run --rm -it ghcr.io/ggerganov/llama.cpp:full \
--hf-repo "ggml-org/SmolVLM-500M-Instruct-GGUF" \
--hf-file "SmolVLM-500M-Instruct-GGUF-Q6_K.gguf" \
-c 4096 -ngl 99Yes, Intel Arc A550M 8GB can run SmolVLM 500M Instruct with a D grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 7.0 tok/s.
SmolVLM 500M Instruct (0.5B parameters) requires approximately 2.2 GB of memory with Q6_K quantization.
The recommended quantization for SmolVLM 500M Instruct is Q6_K, which balances quality and memory efficiency.
On Intel Arc A550M 8GB, SmolVLM 500M Instruct achieves approximately 7.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 27657ms using Q6_K quantization.
For coding workloads, SmolVLM 500M Instruct on Intel Arc A550M 8GB receives a D grade with 7.0 tok/s and 942K context.
On Intel Arc A550M 8GB, SmolVLM 500M Instruct can safely use up to 942K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, 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/hf-ggml-org--smolvlm-500m-instruct-gguf-on-arc-a550m-8gb" width="400" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;" title="Will It Run AI — fit result"></iframe>
Preview:
| Medium |
| C49 |
Q4_K_M | 4 | 0.3 GB | Medium | C49 |
Q5_K_M | 5 | 0.4 GB | High | C49 |
Q6_K | 6 | 0.4 GB | High | C49 |
Q8_0 | 8 | 0.5 GB | Very High | C49 |
F16Best for your GPU | 16 | 1.0 GB | Maximum | C50 |
Prioritize bandwidth, not only capacity. If this workload feels slow, the next useful step is often a GPU tier with materially faster memory bandwidth rather than only a small bump in capacity.
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.