Running local AI models on an M4 MacBook with 24GB memory: A practical guide
By
Johanna Larsson
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
The article details the author's experiments with running local AI language models on an M4 MacBook with 24GB memory. It covers the setup process, including choosing between tools like Ollama, llama.cpp, and LM Studio, and discusses the trade-offs between local model performance and cloud-based SOTA models. The author emphasizes the benefits of offline capability, privacy, and reduced dependence on big tech companies, while acknowledging the technical challenges and limitations in output quality compared to leading cloud models.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledIt's nothing like the output of a SOTA model, but the excitement of being able to have a local model do basic tasks, research, and planning, more than makes up for it!
No internet connection required! Not to mention that it's a way of reducing your dependence on big US tech, even if just a tiny bit.
I gotta say though, it's not easy to get this stuff set up. First you have to choose how you're running the model: Ollama, llama.cpp or LM Studio.
You might also wanna read
Locally AI: Run AI Models Offline on Apple Devices
Locally AI is a software application that enables users to run various AI models (including Llama, Gemma, Qwen, and DeepSeek) locally on App
Product Hunt·2mo ago
Guide to Calculating GPU Memory for Self-Hosted LLM Inference
The article provides a guide on calculating GPU memory requirements and managing concurrent requests for self-hosted large language model (L
Product Hunt·9mo ago
LumiChats Offline: Free Open-Source Desktop App for Running AI Models Locally with Full Privacy
LumiChats Offline is a free, open-source desktop application that enables users to run powerful AI models entirely offline without requiring
Product Hunt·25d ago
Unsloth: Open-Source Platform for Local AI Model Training and Inference
Unsloth is an open-source platform that enables users to run and train AI models and large language models (LLMs) locally on their own hardw
Product Hunt·2mo ago
Building a Personal AI Agent with Markdown-Based Skills and Local Models
The article describes a personal AI agent built on Pi that manages the author's inbox, calendar, deal pipeline, blog publishing, and researc
tomtunguz.com·2d ago
MiniCPM 4.0: Open-source 8B multimodal AI model outperforms GPT-4o and Gemini Pro on vision benchmarks
MiniCPM 4.0 is an ultra-efficient 8B open-source multimodal AI model designed for on-device use that outperforms larger models like GPT-4o a
Product Hunt·9mo ago