Would CUDA be a better path than Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB for HelpingAI2.5 5B i1?

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 HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 run on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 feels slow on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

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.

YES — Tight Fit

C50Usable

Estimated from fit model

HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 needs ~5.1 GB VRAM. Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB has 6.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~31 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: TightBandwidth: Very lowStack: 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

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 5.1 GB, 30.8 tok/s, Tight fit

5.1 GB required6.0 GB available

85% VRAM used

Fit status

Tight fit

Decode

30.8 tok/s

TTFT

6276 ms

Safe context

40K

Memory

5.1 GB / 6.0 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights3.1 GB

KV Cache0.6 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom0.6 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsHelpingAI2.5 5B i1 on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB
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: 30.8 tok/s decode · 6.3s TTFT (warm) · 77 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

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.

Best improvement path

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	C	Runs well	30.8 tok/s	3423 ms	40K
Coding	C	Tight fit	30.8 tok/s	6276 ms	40K
Agentic Coding	C	Runs with offload	30.8 tok/s	9129 ms	40K
Reasoning	C	Tight fit	30.8 tok/s	7418 ms	40K
RAG	C	Runs with offload	30.8 tok/s	11412 ms	40K

Quantization options

How HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 (5B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB (6.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	2.0 GB	Low	C54
Q3_K_S	3	2.5 GB	Low	C54
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 on your machine.

Run

lms load hf-mradermacher--helpingai2-5-5b-i1-gguf && lms server start

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 well

Intel Arc A580 8GBBudget pick

8 GB VRAM (+2)512 GB/s (+320)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 127%.70 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 127%.

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

~$179 MSRP

Intel Arc B570 10GBBest value

10 GB VRAM (+4)380 GB/s (+188)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 119%.67.3 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 119%.

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

~$219 MSRP

Intel Arc B580 12GBIntel upgrade

12 GB VRAM (+6)456 GB/s (+264)

Raises estimated decode speed by about 127%.70 tok/s decode

Raises estimated decode speed by about 127%.

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

~$249 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB run HelpingAI2.5 5B i1?

Yes, Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB can run HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 with a C grade (Tight fit). Expected decode speed: 30.8 tok/s.

How much VRAM does HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 need?

HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 (5B parameters) requires approximately 5.1 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for HelpingAI2.5 5B i1?

The recommended quantization for HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 run at on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

On Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB, HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 achieves approximately 30.8 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 6276ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB run HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 for coding?

For coding workloads, HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB receives a C grade with 30.8 tok/s and 40K context.

What context window can HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 use on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

On Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB, HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 can safely use up to 40K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if HelpingAI2.5 5B i1 feels slow on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

See all results for Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB See all hardware for HelpingAI2.5 5B i1

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