Topic
Local LLM
84 posts on local llm — guides and lab notes from real runs on hardware we own. New posts land here automatically. Start anywhere, or grab the copy-paste prompts that ship with them.
- 6 min read
Pin Your Context Window or Pay the Reload Tax
Change num_ctx in Ollama and it reloads the whole model. On my RTX 5090 that meant 140 seconds of dead air per context swap. Here is how to stop paying it.
- 6 min read
Pin Your Local LLM Context Size Before You Build a Router
Changing context size can reload a local model before every request. A measured RTX 5090 sweep shows why context belongs in the routing key.
- 6 min read
When Claude hits a weekly limit, your agent fleet still needs a third CLI
Claude and Codex both went dark. Here is the tertiary Gemini path I wired, with honest qa_reviewer stamps.
- 8 min read
I built a self-improving code model on one RTX 5090. Here is what actually worked.
Six pieces, one consumer GPU, no cloud. The honest results: some parts worked, some were flat, and one idea changed everything.
- 5 min read
Will That Local Model Fit? Do the VRAM Math First
A local LLM needs about half a gigabyte of VRAM per billion parameters at Q4, then KV cache and context stack on top. Here is how to know a model fits before you download 40 GB.
- 5 min read
Local LLMs Need a Timeout Before They Need a Bigger Model
A bigger local model will not fix a stuck runtime. Add a bounded inference doctor first, then trust the benchmark.
- 5 min read
Your local LLM is not a worse Claude. It is a different tool.
Stop scoring your local model on how close it gets to Opus. It is a different tool with a different sweet spot. Here is the line, and which side your work sits on.
- 5 min read
A verifier loop beats a faster local model
Local LLMs are useful when the loop proves the output, not when the benchmark looks good. This is the small gate I use before a local coding agent gets more rope.
- 4 min read
How I Gate a Local Coding Model Before I Trust It
A local model is not ready because it runs fast. It is ready when one verifier loop can prove the output before an agent writes files.
- 5 min read
How I Make Local Model Runs Fail Safely On A 5090
A local model run should prove its safety path before it proves a score. Here is the small guardrail loop I use on my RTX 5090 for QLoRA starter work.
- 5 min read
How to Make a Local QLoRA Starter Fail Safely
A local QLoRA starter should prove data, GPU safety, metrics, tests, and blockers before it claims progress. Here is the small loop I use on owned hardware.
- 5 min read
How to Run Local LLM Verifier Loops on Owned Hardware
A local LLM workflow needs more than a model prompt. It needs a verifier loop that proves the file, command, URL, or report changed before the agent claims done.
The AI agent build notes
Real costs, real tools, no fluff. One evidence-backed note on Friday when there is something worth sharing.
Get the requested artifact now, then at most one evidence-backed Local AI Lab Note on Friday when there is something worth sharing. One-click unsubscribe. No sponsored placements. Privacy.