u/Super_Anywhere_9076

Trying to stay in the smaller model range because my machine can’t comfortably run the bigger stuff.

I tried KoboldCPP with a couple smaller models and it ran fine, but the output quality was inconsistent. Some prompts were decent, others felt like the model was missing context or giving very generic answers.

So I’m wondering if the app makes a big difference here, or if it’s mostly about the model and settings.

For people using 7B or 8B models locally, what app gives you the best results?

I’m using an older model right now, so I’m trying to make local AI feel usable without upgrading hardware.

So far the biggest difference has been using smaller models and not expecting one setup to handle everything. I’ve been testing GPT4All with lighter models for basic chat and summaries, but bigger models get slow pretty quickly.

Curious what other people do to keep things fast.

Do you use smaller models, lower context, quantized versions, different apps, or specific settings?

I like the idea of running AI locally, but a lot of the apps still feel like you need to understand models, context length, GPU settings, embeddings, and a bunch of other stuff before you can just use them.

I’ve tried LM Studio and Jan so far. Both are pretty approachable, but I still don’t think either feels as simple as opening ChatGPT and typing.

For people using local AI every day, which app feels the closest to that simple chat experience?

I’m not looking for the most powerful setup, just something clean, easy to install, and not annoying to use regularly.

Some meetings have enough sensitive info that I don’t want to run them through a cloud note taker.

I’m looking for a local setup that can handle the whole flow like recording or transcript, summary, decisions, action items, and maybe a follow-up email draft.

I tried Aiko for transcription and then used a local chat app for the summary. It works, but it still feels too manual if you’re doing it every week.

Has anyone found a better local workflow for meeting notes?

Main thing I care about is whether the audio/transcript and summary stay on the machine.