ModemGuides · The Blog · Tagged: Open-source
Open-source
Best Local AI Models by VRAM and Memory: 8GB to 512GB (August 2026)Every pick re-verified for August 2026 against its repo, license, and runtime — one canonical tier map from 8GB cards to 512GB Macs.
Can You Run GLM-5.3-Flash Locally? The 128GB Reality CheckGLM-5.3-Flash lands at 320B with 18B active under MIT. The honest hardware math: GGUF sizes, the 128GB line, and day-one runtime status.
Run DeepSeek V4-Flash Locally: Hardware Requirements 2026The 0731 weights are out and the tier map is current: 103GB build on mainline llama.cpp, LM Studio gone local, and the M5 Mac Studio math.
Has Open-Source AI Actually Caught Up? The 2026 Reality CheckOpen models now sit in the frontier top five, but half the viral scoreboard is unshipped. The verified ledger, the price math, and what runs at home.
The AI Compute Wall: Power, Chips, and Why Owning Your AI Stack Is the HedgeThe viral RAND chart, explained without the geopolitics: why AI's power and chip limits are already raising your costs, and the local-first hedge.
Self-Verifying AI Agent Loops: What's Real, What's Hype, and How to Run OneA self-verifying AI agent loop checks its own work against live sources. Here is the real technique behind the viral Kimi swarm, minus the hype.
The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 for Local LLMs: An Honest Reality CheckThe honest tokens-per-second, the $1,499-vs-$2,200 SKU trap, the Linux memory unlock, and whether a Strix Halo box can replace your Claude Code bill.
Best Open-Source Local LLMs by Hardware Tier (July 2026)The best open-source LLMs to run locally in 2026, by hardware tier, with the top tier benchmarked against Opus 4.8, GPT-5.5, and Gemini 3.1 Pro.
Local LLM Knowledge Base in Obsidian: Setup GuideAndrej Karpathy's LLM Wiki pattern lets an AI build and maintain a structured knowledge base from your documents. Here's how to set it up locally with Obsidian and...
Self-Improving AI Agents Are Here: What AutoAgent Means for Your Local AI StackAutoAgent proves AI agents can autonomously modify their own tools and behavior. What self-improving agents mean for your local AI stack and home network security.
How to Build a Local AI Knowledge Base You Actually OwnBuild a private, local-first AI knowledge base using Obsidian, Ollama, and AnythingLLM. Your research stays on your network with zero monthly fees.

