Beginners
The Local AI Complexity Cliff: Why the Jump from Hello World to Useful Is So Hard
Getting Ollama running takes 5 minutes. Building something useful takes weeks of hitting walls you didn't know existed. Here's an honest map of every stage, with time estimates and what unlocks at each level.
The 8GB VRAM Trap: What 'Runs on 8GB' Actually Means
Every local AI tutorial says 'runs on 8GB!' — and technically it does. What they don't tell you about quantization cliffs, tiny context windows, and why a $275 used GPU changes everything.
Best Mini PCs for Local AI Under $300 in 2026
A $200 refurbished ThinkCentre runs 7B models at 5-8 tok/s. A $350 AMD Ryzen box hits 10-15 tok/s. Specific picks, real benchmarks, and what's worth buying.