Would CUDA be a better path than Intel Arc A730M 12GB for starcoder2 15b 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 starcoder2 15b i1 run on Intel Arc A730M 12GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if starcoder2 15b i1 feels slow on Intel Arc A730M 12GB?

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.

BARELY — Tight on Memory

D37Poor

Estimated from fit model

starcoder2 15b i1 needs ~13.0 GB VRAM. Intel Arc A730M 12GB has 12.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~11 tok/s.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: OffloadBandwidth: 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.

Capabilities:

Select quantization to explore

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 13.0 GB, 11.4 tok/s, Very compromised (needs ~0.7 GB host RAM)

13.0 GB required12.0 GB available

108% VRAM needed

1.0 GB over capacity — needs offload or smaller quantization

Fit status

Very compromised (needs ~0.7 GB host RAM)

Decode

11.4 tok/s

TTFT

17000 ms

Safe context

Memory

13.0 GB / 12.0 GB

Offload

10%

Memory breakdown

Weights9.2 GB

KV Cache1.8 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom1.2 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsstarcoder2 15b i1 on Intel Arc A730M 12GB
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: 11.4 tok/s decode · 17.0s TTFT (warm) · 29 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	C	Runs with offload (needs ~0.1 GB host RAM)	13.2 tok/s	8003 ms	7K
Coding	D	Very compromised	11.4 tok/s	17000 ms	7K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	8.7 tok/s	32289 ms	7K
Reasoning	D	Very compromised (needs ~0.7 GB host RAM)	11.4 tok/s	20091 ms	7K
RAG	F	Too heavy	8.7 tok/s	40361 ms

Quantization options

How starcoder2 15b i1 (15B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc A730M 12GB (12.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	5.9 GB	Low	C52
Q3_K_S	3	7.4 GB	Low	C51
NVFP4Best for your GPU

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run starcoder2 15b i1 on your machine.

Run

lms load hf-mradermacher--starcoder2-15b-i1-gguf && lms server start

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs starcoder2 15b i1 well

Intel Arc A770 16GBBudget pick

16 GB VRAM (+4)560 GB/s (+224)

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.27.5 tok/s decode

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

Raises estimated decode speed by about 141%.

~$349 MSRP

Intel Arc Pro B50 16GBBest value

16 GB VRAM (+4)

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.13.2 tok/s decode

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

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

~$399 MSRP

Intel Arc Pro B60 24GBIntel upgrade

24 GB VRAM (+12)456 GB/s (+120)

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.26.9 tok/s decode

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.

Raises estimated decode speed by about 136%.

~$599 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can Intel Arc A730M 12GB run starcoder2 15b i1?

Yes, Intel Arc A730M 12GB can run starcoder2 15b i1 with a D grade (Very compromised). Expected decode speed: 11.4 tok/s.

How much VRAM does starcoder2 15b i1 need?

starcoder2 15b i1 (15B parameters) requires approximately 13.0 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for starcoder2 15b i1?

The recommended quantization for starcoder2 15b i1 is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will starcoder2 15b i1 run at on Intel Arc A730M 12GB?

On Intel Arc A730M 12GB, starcoder2 15b i1 achieves approximately 11.4 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 17000ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can Intel Arc A730M 12GB run starcoder2 15b i1 for coding?

For coding workloads, starcoder2 15b i1 on Intel Arc A730M 12GB receives a D grade with 11.4 tok/s and 7K context.

What context window can starcoder2 15b i1 use on Intel Arc A730M 12GB?

On Intel Arc A730M 12GB, starcoder2 15b i1 can safely use up to 7K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if starcoder2 15b i1 feels slow on Intel Arc A730M 12GB?

See all results for Intel Arc A730M 12GB See all hardware for starcoder2 15b i1

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