Before you start
- Read Run Local AI to set it up.
- Know roughly how much memory (RAM) your computer has. On Mac, choose Apple menu › About This Mac. On Windows, open Settings › System › About.
The models
The download also includes a small AI engine the first time. Elephas shows the exact size before it downloads anything.
Steps
See which model fits your computer
1
Open the Local AI card
Open Settings › AI (⌘, on Mac, Ctrl+, on Windows). Click Local (on this computer). If you aren’t ready to download, click Not now. The card stays open.
2
Open Which model
Click Which model. The list starts with Choose for me, then each model with its size. The one that suits your computer says Recommended for this computer. A model that is likely too big says Probably too big for this computer. You can still try it.
3
Pick a model
Click Choose for me or a model. Picking downloads nothing by itself: “Changing this downloads nothing now. It applies when you next set up Local AI.”
Switch to another model
1
Pick the new model
In Settings › AI, under Local (on this computer), open Which model and click the model you want.
2
Download it
The status line says You chose followed by the model, which isn’t downloaded yet. The button below names the download, for example Download Qwen 9B · 5.3 GB. Click it.If Local AI isn’t set up yet, click Local (on this computer) again instead. The download dialog names the model you picked.
3
Wait for it to start
Elephas stops the current model, then downloads, checks and starts the new one. Local AI can’t answer in the meantime, so switch when you can spare the wait, or use another option for a while. When the status reads Local AI ready with the new model’s name, Ask uses it.
How it works
How Choose for me decides
Elephas suggests the largest model your computer’s total memory qualifies for. On Windows, it also looks at how much memory is free right now and steps down to a smaller model if there isn’t enough headroom. If even the smallest model doesn’t fit, Local AI shows Not enough free memory on this computer. If Elephas later finds a different model would suit your computer better, the status line adds A different model suits this computer better. Click Set up again to switch. Elephas never replaces an installed model without your click.Speed versus quality
- Smaller is faster. Qwen 2B starts quickly and answers fastest, with shorter, simpler answers. Good for quick lookups on any computer.
- Bigger is better, and slower. Qwen 9B writes the most careful answers but needs the most memory, and other apps may slow down while it runs.
- You can check. Open Details under the Local AI card to see numbers from the last answer: how long the model took to load, how long until the first word, how fast it wrote and how much memory it used. It never shows any part of your question or answer.
Removing a model you no longer use
Elephas doesn’t have a button to delete a downloaded model yet. When you switch models, the previous one stays on your computer. To remove every model, along with the rest of Elephas’s data, see Uninstall Elephas.Troubleshooting
The model I picked is slow or makes my computer sluggish
The model I picked is slow or makes my computer sluggish
It may be too big for the memory you have free. Pick Choose for me or a smaller model, then download it. Closing other large apps also helps. See Local AI troubleshooting.
I picked a model but nothing happened
I picked a model but nothing happened
Picking only records your choice. Click the Download button that names the model, or Set up again.
Not enough free disk space
Not enough free disk space
The card says how much to free. Free the space and click Retry, or pick a smaller model.