You may already own the computer you need.
You do not need a high-end workstation for every local AI task. OGAD (Off Grid AI Desktop) can run a smaller compatible model on supported hardware for writing, summarising and other bounded tasks. Larger models, long documents and image generation can need much more memory. Start with the job you want to finish, then test your existing computer.
Download OGAD | Linux and optional NVIDIA support in beta108
What would you like to do with Off Grid AI?
Have a feature or use case you would like us to support? Tell us what you want to do and which device you use.
Write to support@offgridmobileai.co, join our Slack community, or talk to us on Reddit.
What makes a computer suitable for local AI?
Three different resources matter: storage holds the model files, memory holds the working model and conversation, and the processor or supported GPU does the computation. A large SSD cannot replace insufficient working memory. A powerful GPU does not make every model compatible with the app.
That distinction helps you avoid an expensive first mistake: buying hardware before checking whether a smaller model already solves the task.
| Your intended task | A sensible first test |
|---|---|
| Rewrite an email or short note | One small local text model, with a short prompt |
| Extract actions from supplied notes | A bounded text sample with names and deadlines you can check |
| Ask questions about a document | A small project and one supported document; inspect the answer's sources |
| Describe an image | A supported vision model with its required companion files |
| Generate an illustration | A separate image model and modest initial image dimensions |
You do not have to prepare all five on day one. Local chat is a useful starting point because you can judge the answer against text you already understand.
How small can a model be?
The current Off Grid AI model catalog contains different sizes of the same model family. For example, the Qwen 3.5 Q4 text files listed during this review range from about 530 MB for 0.8B to 1.28 GB for 2B, 2.74 GB for 4B and 5.68 GB for 9B. Companion files can add more storage.
Those figures describe downloads. They are not total RAM requirements and they do not promise the same result from each size. A smaller model may handle a short rewrite well but lose important details in a difficult request. Compare the actual output before deciding that a larger model is necessary.
The catalog can change. Use the sizes and memory guidance displayed by your installed version when choosing a download. OGAD source and model setup.
Which computer should you try first?
Use a supported computer you already have. The documented Mac route uses Apple Silicon. Windows has an x64 release. Linux support is available in v0.0.54-beta.108, whose documented target is Ubuntu 24.04 or newer on x64. The Linux beta supplies core features; it does not include the Pro background-work layer.
An optional NVIDIA pack is available for supported Windows and Linux configurations in that beta. It is an additional download, not a condition for starting every local text task. Check the release requirements before installing a pack. Release details.
If you are choosing between two computers in your office, test the same model and task on both. Record whether each loads the model, produces a useful answer and leaves enough room for your ordinary work. This comparison tells you more than comparing the devices' names.
How do you test your computer with real work?
- Install OGAD for your operating system.
- Open setup and review the suggested local models.
- Choose a modest text model and complete its download.
- Open Chat and select that local model.
- Give it a short task with an answer you can check.
For example, paste this note:
The client approved the homepage layout. Product photos are still missing. Morgan will send them on Friday. Development can continue on the contact page. We have not agreed a launch date.
Then ask:
Turn these notes into a client update with three sections: approved, still needed, and next action. Keep the owner and deadline. Do not invent a launch date.
Check all five source facts. A useful answer retains the missing photos, Morgan's commitment and the unsettled launch date. You can edit tone later. First establish that the model preserves meaning.
Now repeat the task with a slightly longer note from your own non-sensitive work. If it succeeds, you have a practical use for the hardware without buying anything else.
What if the model is slow or cannot load?
Change one condition at a time. Close other memory-heavy applications, unload models you are not using, and try a smaller compatible model. Keep the same prompt so that you can compare results.
| Symptom | Useful next check |
|---|---|
| Model will not load | Available memory, complete download, supported model format |
| Short answers work but long requests fail | Working context and memory demand |
| Response is usable but too slow | Smaller model or a supported acceleration backend |
| Answer misses facts | Clearer prompt, smaller input, then a more capable model |
| Image generation fails while chat works | Image model requirements and its separate runtime |
A faster backend addresses processing speed. It does not repair an unclear brief or make an unsuitable model reliable. Similarly, downloading a larger model does not help if your computer cannot hold it comfortably.
On beta108, check the backend that a request actually uses after a model reload. Selecting a preferred backend is different from confirming that it became active.
Can you use a more powerful computer elsewhere?
You can also explore a remote model on hardware you control when your current computer is too limited. That changes the setup: the model runs on the host, and your device needs a working network route to it. Access from outside your home needs suitable connectivity and access controls.
Treat that as a separate decision. It may let you use existing hardware, but it is not the same as running entirely on the laptop in airplane mode.
What should you buy, if anything?
Buy only after you have a specific limit: a required model will not fit, a repeated task is too slow, or your usual applications cannot stay open alongside inference. Keep the prompt and model that exposed the limit. They become a useful acceptance test for the replacement computer.
For many first tasks, the useful next step costs less than a new workstation: download OGAD, run one small model, and see whether it can finish a piece of work you already have.
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