Would CUDA be a better path than Gaudi 3 128GB for SmolVLM 500M Instruct?

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 SmolVLM 500M Instruct run on Gaudi 3 128GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if SmolVLM 500M Instruct feels slow on Gaudi 3 128GB?

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.

YES — Runs Great

D36Poor

Estimated from fit model

SmolVLM 500M Instruct needs ~14.2 GB VRAM. Gaudi 3 128GB has 128.0 GB. With Q6_K quantization, expect ~7 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: RoomyBandwidth: HighStack: StandardBottleneck: Memory bandwidth

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

Q6_K (High quality) — 14.2 GB, 7.0 tok/s, Runs well

14.2 GB required128.0 GB available

11% VRAM used

Fit status

Runs well

Decode

7.0 tok/s

TTFT

27657 ms

Safe context

18.2M

Memory

14.2 GB / 128.0 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights0.4 GB

KV Cache0.1 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom12.8 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsSmolVLM 500M Instruct on Gaudi 3 128GB
1st promptCold start — includes initialization
>What is local AI inference?
Local AI inference means running an AI language model directly on your own hardware — your laptop, desktop, or server — instead of sending requests to a remote cloud API.

When you run inference locally the model weights are loaded into your GPU or unified memory. Each token you generate requires reading those weights from memory, so memory bandwidth is the main bottleneck for decode speed.

Key benefits of running locally:
  - Full privacy: your prompts never leave your machine
  - No per-token cost or rate limits
  - Works offline once the model is downloaded
  - Latency depends only on your hardware
2nd promptWarm — model ready, no init overhead
>How much VRAM do I need?
It depends on the model size and quantization level. A rough rule of thumb:

  Model size     Q4 (4-bit)    Q8 (8-bit)    FP16
  7B params      ~4.3 GB       ~7.5 GB       ~14 GB
  13B params     ~7.9 GB       ~13.9 GB      ~26 GB
  70B params     ~42.7 GB      ~74.9 GB      ~140 GB

Most people use 4-bit quantization (Q4_K_M) which gives 90-95% of full quality at a fraction of the memory. A 24 GB GPU can comfortably run most 7B-13B models.
Estimated: 7.0 tok/s decode · 27.7s TTFT (warm) · 18 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

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.

Best improvement path

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.

Performance by workload

Workload	Grade	Fit	Decode	TTFT	Context
Chat	D	Runs well	7.0 tok/s	15086 ms	9.1M
Coding	D	Runs well	7.0 tok/s	27657 ms	18.2M
Agentic Coding	D	Runs well	7.0 tok/s	40229 ms	31.1M
Reasoning	D	Runs well	7.0 tok/s	32686 ms	18.2M
RAG	D	Runs well	7.0 tok/s	50286 ms	31.1M

Quantization options

How SmolVLM 500M Instruct (0.5B params) fits at each quantization level on Gaudi 3 128GB (128.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	0.2 GB	Low	D38
Q3_K_S	3	0.2 GB	Low	D38
NVFP4	4

Get started

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 99

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs SmolVLM 500M Instruct well

Mac Studio M3 Ultra 256GBBudget pick

256 GB Unified (+128)

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.7 tok/s decode

Adds memory headroom for longer context windows and future model growth.

~$6,999 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can Gaudi 3 128GB run SmolVLM 500M Instruct?

Yes, Gaudi 3 128GB can run SmolVLM 500M Instruct with a D grade (Runs well). Expected decode speed: 7.0 tok/s.

How much VRAM does SmolVLM 500M Instruct need?

SmolVLM 500M Instruct (0.5B parameters) requires approximately 14.2 GB of memory with Q6_K quantization.

What is the best quantization for SmolVLM 500M Instruct?

The recommended quantization for SmolVLM 500M Instruct is Q6_K, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will SmolVLM 500M Instruct run at on Gaudi 3 128GB?

On Gaudi 3 128GB, SmolVLM 500M Instruct achieves approximately 7.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 27657ms using Q6_K quantization.

Can Gaudi 3 128GB run SmolVLM 500M Instruct for coding?

For coding workloads, SmolVLM 500M Instruct on Gaudi 3 128GB receives a D grade with 7.0 tok/s and 18.2M context.

What context window can SmolVLM 500M Instruct use on Gaudi 3 128GB?

On Gaudi 3 128GB, SmolVLM 500M Instruct can safely use up to 18.2M tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if SmolVLM 500M Instruct feels slow on Gaudi 3 128GB?

See all results for Gaudi 3 128GB See all hardware for SmolVLM 500M Instruct

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