Flash Attention Should Be Default Over SDPA

LysandreJik · x · 2026-07-15

This post emphasizes that **there's no need to use SDPA attention when running LLMs**, equating it to "handicapping your own hardware." The author argues that while deploying flash attention used to be a hassle, it is no longer a major barrier. Key takeaways: - **flash attention** has a significant impact on throughput; - Continuing to use **SDPA** needlessly sacrifices performance; - This optimization is mature enough today that it shouldn't be treated as an "optional feature." The original post also mentions that the author didn't even want to expand on the performance gains brought by **CB** (further performance optimization topics in context).

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