// KNOWLEDGE_BASE

Hardware Guides for Local AI & PC Builds

Tested, opinionated, specific. We show the VRAM math instead of hand-waving — then point you straight at the calculator that does it for your exact model.

LOCAL AI Best GPU to Run Llama 3 70B Locally (2026) A 70B model needs ~48 GB at Q4. Here is exactly which single and dual-GPU setups clear that bar — and which ones quietly fall short. READ → LOCAL AI How Much VRAM Do You Need for DeepSeek-R1? From the 1.5B distill on a phone to the 671B full model on a server — the real VRAM numbers for every DeepSeek-R1 size. READ → LOCAL AI The Cheapest PC to Run a Local LLM in 2026 You don't need a $2,000 rig. Here's the cheapest honest build that runs a genuinely useful local model — and where "cheap" starts to hurt. READ → LOCAL AI Can I Run a Local LLM on a Laptop? Yes — within limits. Laptop VRAM caps out fast. Here's what fits on 8 GB, 12 GB, and 16 GB mobile GPUs, and where a Mac changes the math. READ → LOCAL AI Q4 vs Q8 Quantization: How Much Quality Do You Lose? Q4 roughly halves the VRAM of Q8. Does it halve the quality too? What the formats (GGUF, GPTQ, AWQ) actually mean for your build. READ → IMAGE AI How Much VRAM for Stable Diffusion XL & FLUX? SDXL is happy on 8 GB. FLUX is a different animal. Real VRAM targets for SD 1.5, SDXL, SD 3.5, and FLUX.1 — plus how to shrink them. READ → LOCAL AI Apple Silicon for Local AI: Unified Memory Explained An M-series Mac with 64 GB can run models a 24 GB Nvidia card can't touch. Here's why unified memory changes everything — and its catch. READ → GAMING Best GPU for 1440p Gaming in 2026 1440p is the sweet spot — if you pick the right card. The honest tier list for high-refresh 1440p, with and without ray tracing. READ → IMAGE AI RTX 5070 Ti vs 5080 for Stable Diffusion & FLUX Both have 16 GB of VRAM — so for image generation, is the 5080 worth the premium? A focused comparison for creators. READ → GENERAL USE How Much RAM Do You Need? A Task-by-Task Guide 8, 16, 32, or 64 GB? RAM is the easiest spec to over- or under-buy. Honest minimums mapped to what you actually do all day. READ →