Would CUDA be a better path than Intel Arc A380 6GB for StarCoder2 7B?

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 7B run on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if StarCoder2 7B feels slow on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

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 7B needs ~6.6 GB VRAM. Intel Arc A380 6GB has 6.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~13 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.

Capabilities:

Select quantization to explore

Q4_K_M (Medium quality) — 6.6 GB, 13.1 tok/s, Very compromised (needs ~0.4 GB host RAM)

6.6 GB required6.0 GB available

110% VRAM needed

0.6 GB over capacity — needs offload or smaller quantization

Fit status

Very compromised (needs ~0.4 GB host RAM)

Decode

13.1 tok/s

TTFT

14735 ms

Safe context

Memory

6.6 GB / 6.0 GB

Offload

10%

Memory breakdown

Weights4.3 GB

KV Cache0.8 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom0.6 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsStarCoder2 7B on Intel Arc A380 6GB
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: 13.1 tok/s decode · 14.7s TTFT (warm) · 33 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	15.0 tok/s	7020 ms	4K
Coding	D	Very compromised	13.1 tok/s	14735 ms	4K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	10.3 tok/s	27436 ms	4K
Reasoning	D	Very compromised	13.1 tok/s	17414 ms	4K
RAG	F	Too heavy	10.3 tok/s	34295 ms	4K

Quantization options

How StarCoder2 7B (7B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc A380 6GB (6.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	2.7 GB	Low	C54
Q3_K_SBest for your GPU	3	3.4 GB	Low	C54

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run StarCoder2 7B on your machine.

Run

lms load hf-second-state--starcoder2-7b-gguf && lms server start

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs StarCoder2 7B well

Intel Arc A580 8GBBudget pick

8 GB VRAM (+2)512 GB/s (+326)

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.58.8 tok/s decode

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

Raises estimated decode speed by about 349%.

~$179 MSRP

Intel Arc B570 10GBBest value

10 GB VRAM (+4)380 GB/s (+194)

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.48.1 tok/s decode

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

Raises estimated decode speed by about 267%.

~$219 MSRP

Intel Arc B580 12GBIntel upgrade

12 GB VRAM (+6)456 GB/s (+270)

Removes host-memory offload, which is usually the single biggest latency and throughput win.51.3 tok/s decode

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

Raises estimated decode speed by about 292%.

~$249 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can Intel Arc A380 6GB run StarCoder2 7B?

Yes, Intel Arc A380 6GB can run StarCoder2 7B with a D grade (Very compromised). Expected decode speed: 13.1 tok/s.

How much VRAM does StarCoder2 7B need?

StarCoder2 7B (7B parameters) requires approximately 6.6 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for StarCoder2 7B?

The recommended quantization for StarCoder2 7B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will StarCoder2 7B run at on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

On Intel Arc A380 6GB, StarCoder2 7B achieves approximately 13.1 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 14735ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can Intel Arc A380 6GB run StarCoder2 7B for coding?

For coding workloads, StarCoder2 7B on Intel Arc A380 6GB receives a D grade with 13.1 tok/s and 4K context.

What context window can StarCoder2 7B use on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

On Intel Arc A380 6GB, StarCoder2 7B can safely use up to 4K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is —, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if StarCoder2 7B feels slow on Intel Arc A380 6GB?

See all results for Intel Arc A380 6GB See all hardware for StarCoder2 7B

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