Would CUDA be a better path than Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB for Qwen 3.5 4B?

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 Qwen 3.5 4B run on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if Qwen 3.5 4B 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 — With Offload

S90Excellent

Estimated from fit model

Qwen 3.5 4B needs ~6.1 GB VRAM. Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB has 6.0 GB. With Q4_K_M quantization, expect ~28 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) — 6.1 GB, 29.6 tok/s, Runs with offload (needs ~0.1 GB host RAM)

6.1 GB required6.0 GB available

102% VRAM needed

100 MB over capacity — needs offload or smaller quantization

Fit status

Runs with offload (needs ~0.1 GB host RAM)

Decode

29.6 tok/s

TTFT

6531 ms

Safe context

15K

Memory

6.1 GB / 6.0 GB

Memory breakdown

Weights2.4 GB

KV Cache2.2 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom0.6 GB

See how fast it feels

See how fast it feelsQwen 3.5 4B on Intel Arc Pro A40 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: 29.6 tok/s decode · 6.5s TTFT (warm) · 74 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

The raw memory story may look fine, but the software ecosystem is still a constraint here.

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

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	S	Tight fit	38.6 tok/s	2739 ms	15K
Coding	S	Runs with offload	27.6 tok/s	7021 ms	15K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	14.5 tok/s	19450 ms	15K
Reasoning	S	Runs with offload	27.6 tok/s	8298 ms	15K
RAG	F	Too heavy	14.5 tok/s	24312 ms	15K

Quantization options

How Qwen 3.5 4B (4B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB (6.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	1.6 GB	Low	S94
Q3_K_S	3	2.0 GB	Low	S95
NVFP4	4

Get started

Copy-paste commands to run Qwen 3.5 4B on your machine.

Run

ollama run qwen3.5:4b

Frequently asked questions

Can Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB run Qwen 3.5 4B?

Yes, Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB can run Qwen 3.5 4B with a S grade (Runs with offload). Expected decode speed: 27.6 tok/s.

How much VRAM does Qwen 3.5 4B need?

Qwen 3.5 4B (4B parameters) requires approximately 6.1 GB of memory with Q4_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for Qwen 3.5 4B?

The recommended quantization for Qwen 3.5 4B is Q4_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will Qwen 3.5 4B run at on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

On Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB, Qwen 3.5 4B achieves approximately 27.6 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 7021ms using Q4_K_M quantization.

Can Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB run Qwen 3.5 4B for coding?

For coding workloads, Qwen 3.5 4B on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB receives a S grade with 27.6 tok/s and 15K context.

What context window can Qwen 3.5 4B use on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

On Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB, Qwen 3.5 4B can safely use up to 15K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 131K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if Qwen 3.5 4B feels slow on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

See all results for Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB See all hardware for Qwen 3.5 4B

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