The hardware requirements for DeepSeek Coder V2 and DeepSeek R1 differ significantly, reflecting their distinct capabilities and intended use cases.
DeepSeek Coder V2 Requirements
DeepSeek Coder V2 is a specialized AI model designed for coding tasks, requiring substantial hardware resources for optimal performance. The key specifications include:- Processor: A modern multi-core CPU, ideally an Intel Core i7 from the 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 5 from the 3rd generation or newer. A CPU with at least 6 to 8 cores is recommended for better performance.
- RAM: A minimum of 16 GB is required, but 64 GB is preferred for handling larger models effectively.
- GPU: For the full version of DeepSeek Coder V2, particularly in BF16 format, it mandates 8 GPUs, each with 80 GB of VRAM. This requirement highlights the model's extensive resource needs for efficient operation and inference[1][5][9].
DeepSeek R1 Requirements
DeepSeek R1, on the other hand, offers various model sizes that cater to different hardware capabilities. Its requirements are more flexible compared to Coder V2:- Processor: Similar to Coder V2, a modern multi-core CPU is recommended, but the specific generation is less critical.
- RAM: For smaller models (like the 1.5B version), only 20 GB of RAM may be necessary, while larger models (up to 70B) will require significantly more memoryâideally combining system RAM and GPU VRAM to meet or exceed 80 GB**[2][6][8].
- GPU: The GPU requirements vary by model size. Smaller models can run on less powerful GPUs, while larger models necessitate high-end GPUs such as NVIDIA RTX series for optimal performance[3][4].
In summary, if you have a system with limited resources, you might consider starting with DeepSeek R1's smaller models. In contrast, if you're equipped with high-end hardware capable of supporting multiple GPUs and large amounts of RAM, then DeepSeek Coder V2 would be suitable for more specialized coding tasks.
Citations:
[1] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78697403/system-requirements-for-the-deepseek-coder-v2-instruct/78825493
[2] https://digialps.com/run-deepseek-r1-locally-a-full-guide-my-honest-review-of-this-free-openai-alternative/
[3] https://www.hardware-corner.net/llm-database/Deepseek/
[4] https://blog.promptlayer.com/deepseek-v2-vs-coder-v2-a-comparative-analysis/
[5] https://github.com/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-Coder-V2/issues/26
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/ollama/comments/1icv7wv/hardware_requirements_for_running_the_full_size/
[7] https://dataloop.ai/library/model/bartowski_deepseek-coder-v2-instruct-gguf/
[8] https://huggingface.co/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-R1/discussions/19
[9] https://huggingface.co/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-Coder-V2-Instruct