Would CUDA be a better path than Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB for StarCoder2 15B?

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 run on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

Q: What should I upgrade first if StarCoder2 15B feels slow on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

Add more VRAM headroom. The first useful upgrade is more dedicated VRAM so you can fit the model without shrinking context or dropping to a much lower quant.

NO — Won't Fit

F0Won't run

Estimated from fit model

StarCoder2 15B needs ~13.5 GB but Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB only has 6.0 GB. Try a smaller quantization or lighter model.

Runtime: llama.cppCapacity: No fitBandwidth: Very lowStack: StandardBottleneck: Memory capacity

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

Q5_K_M (High quality) — 13.5 GB, exceeds 6.0 GB available

13.5 GB required6.0 GB available

225% VRAM needed

7.5 GB over capacity — needs offload or smaller quantization

Fit status

Too heavy

Decode

2.0 tok/s

TTFT

96800 ms

Safe context

Memory

13.5 GB / 6.0 GB

Offload

60%

Memory breakdown

Weights10.8 GB

KV Cache1.2 GB

Runtime0.9 GB

Headroom0.6 GB

See how fast it feels

With memory offload — actual speed may be lower

See how fast it feelsStarCoder2 15B 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: 2.0 tok/s decode · 96.8s TTFT (warm) · 5 tok/s prefill

What limits this setup

Usable VRAM is the main blocker for this model.

Not enough usable memory

The model needs 13.5 GB, but this setup only exposes 6.0 GB of usable VRAM.

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

Add more VRAM headroom

The first useful upgrade is more dedicated VRAM so you can fit the model without shrinking context or dropping to a much lower quant.

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	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	52800 ms	4K
Coding	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	96800 ms	4K
Agentic Coding	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	140800 ms	4K
Reasoning	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	114400 ms	4K
RAG	F	Too heavy	2.0 tok/s	176000 ms	4K

Quantization options

How StarCoder2 15B (15B params) fits at each quantization level on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB (6.0 GB usable).

Quant	Bits	VRAM	Quality	Fit
Q2_K	2	5.9 GB	Low	F0
Q3_K_S	3	7.4 GB	Low	F0
NVFP4	4

Upgrade options

Hardware that runs StarCoder2 15B well

Intel Arc B580 12GBBest value

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

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.12.4 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

Raises estimated decode speed by about 520%.

~$249 MSRP

Intel Arc A770 16GBBudget pick

16 GB VRAM (+10)560 GB/s (+368)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.26 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

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

~$349 MSRP

Intel Arc Pro B50 16GBIntel upgrade

16 GB VRAM (+10)224 GB/s (+32)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.12.5 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

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

~$399 MSRP

RTX 4090 24GBBiggest leap

24 GB VRAM (+18)1008 GB/s (+816)

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.80.8 tok/s decode

Makes the model fit on the accelerator instead of staying completely out of reach.

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

~$1,599 MSRP

Frequently asked questions

Can Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB run StarCoder2 15B?

No, StarCoder2 15B requires more memory than Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB provides.

How much VRAM does StarCoder2 15B need?

StarCoder2 15B (15B parameters) requires approximately 13.5 GB of memory with Q5_K_M quantization.

What is the best quantization for StarCoder2 15B?

The recommended quantization for StarCoder2 15B is Q5_K_M, which balances quality and memory efficiency.

What speed will StarCoder2 15B run at on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

On Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB, StarCoder2 15B achieves approximately 2.0 tokens per second decode speed with a time-to-first-token of 96800ms using Q5_K_M quantization.

Can Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB run StarCoder2 15B for coding?

For coding workloads, StarCoder2 15B on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB receives a F grade with 2.0 tok/s and 4K context.

What context window can StarCoder2 15B use on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

On Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB, StarCoder2 15B can safely use up to 4K tokens of context. The model's official context limit is 16K, but available memory constrains the safe maximum.

What should I upgrade first if StarCoder2 15B feels slow on Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB?

See all results for Intel Arc Pro A40 6GB See all hardware for StarCoder2 15B

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