SIGNAL / FIELD GUIDE

Before buying a PC for local AI

Start with the model you need, then check its requirements. An “AI PC” label alone does not establish suitability for text, image or video work.

Before buying hardware

1. Choose one model. Write down its name, size, task and software.
2. Check the publisher’s OS, GPU, memory and storage requirements. GPU memory and system memory are different.
3. Try a smaller model on your current machine. Being able to launch it differs from getting acceptable response times.
4. Identify the bottleneck. Storage capacity and computation memory require different remedies.

Requirements vary by model and software. Start with the official LM Studio requirements if that is your intended software.

Match the problem to a test

Will not launch

Check OS, model format and memory requirements.

Slow responses

Test a smaller model or different settings on your actual task.

No storage space

Review unused files and available capacity.

Unsure about buying

Compare monthly use, cloud costs and hardware replacement costs.

All practical guides