As of June 2026 — model names on ollama.com/library change over time. The sizes below are the default Q4_K_M downloads Ollama uses (a good balance of quality and disk space).
You're not choosing "the best AI in the world" today. You're choosing what your machine can run comfortably for a first win. Bigger models come later, once you know the ropes.
How much RAM do you have?
| If you have… | Pull this model | Download (approx) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 GB total RAM | llama3.2 | ~2.0 GB | Meta's small 3B model — fast enough to learn on, fits tight machines |
| 16 GB RAM | llama3.1:8b or qwen2.5:7b | ~4.7–4.9 GB | A solid daily driver; noticeably smarter than 3B |
| 24 GB+ RAM | qwen2.5:14b or mistral-nemo | ~7.1–9.0 GB | Stronger reasoning; still one-laptop friendly |
Not sure how much RAM you've got? Check your system:
- Windows: Settings → System → About → Installed RAM
- macOS: Apple menu → About This Mac → Memory
- Linux: run
free -hin a terminal and read the total line
Optional swaps (same RAM tier)
- 8 GB and want slightly sharper answers: try
phi4-mini(~2.5 GB) instead ofllama3.2. - 16 GB and you'll write a lot of code later:
qwen2.5:7bfollows instructions especially well.
Write this down
You'll need it on the next pages. Something like:
My RAM: 16 GB
My model: llama3.1:8b
Pull command: ollama pull llama3.1:8b
Run command: ollama run llama3.1:8b
Take it from me — I once burned a whole evening pulling a 70B model onto a laptop that simply couldn't breathe. Don't be me. Match the model to the machine; you can always pull a bigger one once you know what you're doing.
Got a dedicated GPU? Lovely — replies come back faster. No GPU? Also fine. Ollama happily uses your CPU and system RAM. There's no gatekeeping here on "you need a £2k gaming PC."
Continue — what Off the Grid will prove.