LALocal AI Stack

Local AI hardware profiles

Conservative RAM, VRAM, Mac, laptop, GPU, workstation, and mini PC planning profiles for local AI.

Local AI Guide is documentation-backed, not a benchmark lab. Records show source-reviewed facts, conservative estimates, and unsupported areas separately.

Plan from memory first

Local AI hardware guidance starts with memory. System RAM, GPU VRAM, and Mac unified memory are different constraints. This directory gives conservative planning profiles rather than tested benchmark claims.

Hardware profiles are planning records unless marked tested. They should link to the RAM/VRAM calculator and the main 8GB/16GB/32GB articles.

Browse hardware groups

GroupProfiles
RAM tiers8GB laptop, 16GB laptop, 32GB laptop, 64GB workstation
Mac unified memory8GB, 16GB, 32GB Apple Silicon profiles
Windows GPUNVIDIA 8GB, 12GB, 16GB, 24GB profiles
Low-power machinesmini PC and integrated graphics profiles
Official documentation reviewed

Mac with 8GB unified memory

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Small models only; avoid heavy PDF workflows and large context.

Official documentation reviewed

Mac with 16GB unified memory

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Practical beginner Mac tier for 7B/8B-class local chat with conservative settings.

Official documentation reviewed

Mac with 32GB unified memory

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Strong hobbyist tier for larger models and light document workflows, still not unlimited.

Official documentation reviewed

Windows laptop with no discrete GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Small-model experimentation; avoid comfort claims for large models.

Official documentation reviewed

Windows laptop with 8GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Good entry local GPU tier for 7B/8B-class models, with laptop thermal caveats.

Official documentation reviewed

Desktop with 12GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Good mid-tier for 7B/8B and some 14B-class experiments.

Official documentation reviewed

Desktop with 16GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Strong 14B-class tier; still not a blank check for 32B/70B.

Official documentation reviewed

Desktop with 24GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Strong local experimentation tier for 32B-class quantized models with context caveats.

Official documentation reviewed

Mini PC with 16GB RAM

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Good for small always-on experiments, not heavy local AI.

Official documentation reviewed

Mini PC with 32GB RAM

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Better headroom for small services; speed can still be CPU/iGPU-bound.

Official documentation reviewed

8GB laptop

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Constraint tier; small models and modest context only.

Official documentation reviewed

16GB laptop

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Practical beginner tier for small and 7B/8B-class models.

Official documentation reviewed

32GB laptop

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Comfortable local AI tier for chat and light document workflows.

Official documentation reviewed

64GB workstation

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Strong system RAM tier; GPU VRAM still matters for speed.

Official documentation reviewed

Apple Silicon MacBook Air

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Good for small-to-medium local AI if memory is sufficient; thermals matter.

Official documentation reviewed

Apple Silicon MacBook Pro

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Better sustained local AI candidate than Air when memory tier is adequate.

Official documentation reviewed

Windows integrated graphics laptop

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Treat as CPU/iGPU experimentation; do not assume fast local AI.

Official documentation reviewed

NVIDIA 8GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Good entry point for 7B/8B Q4/Q5 models with modest context.

Official documentation reviewed

NVIDIA 12GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

More comfortable than 8GB for 7B/8B and selected 14B experiments.

Official documentation reviewed

NVIDIA 16GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Strong 14B tier and selected larger experiments; not a 70B default.

Official documentation reviewed

NVIDIA 24GB VRAM GPU

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Serious local AI tier; 32B-class quantized models become realistic.

Official documentation reviewed

Mini PC integrated graphics

This is a conservative estimate, not a benchmark. It should help readers understand the likely local AI ceiling for this hardware class and then route them to the calculator or a fuller setup article.

Good for small local services and experimentation, not benchmark-backed heavy workloads.