Install Ollama from its official download page, then run ollama run gemma4:e2b in a terminal to download a starter model and open an interactive local chat. This walkthrough covers macOS, Windows, and Linux; the command-line example runs the model on your computer rather than using Ollama’s hosted cloud models.
What you need to know before installing Ollama
Ollama supports both local models and cloud models. The steps below use a local model, so the Quickstart chat does not require an API key. Cloud use is a separate workflow and may require sign-in or an API key; do not assume every Ollama model runs on your computer.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Model requirements vary. For the Quickstart’s Gemma 4 E2B example, Ollama lists a download of about 7.2 GB and recommends 8 GB of available VRAM, or unified memory on a Mac. These figures apply to that example, not to every Ollama model. Larger context windows need more memory, and the Quickstart notes that system RAM fallback can allow the example to run with slower responses.
Recommended Free Tools
How to install Ollama on macOS, Windows, or Linux
Get the installer from the official Ollama download page and follow the instructions for your operating system. The available installer route and minimum OS requirements can change, so check the page before installing. At the time of the current Ollama documentation, the macOS page specifies macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and the Windows page specifies Windows 10 or later.
#1 Best Overall
- EVOLUTION AMD RYZEN AI MAX+ 395 MINI PC - GMKtec EVO-X2 is the next evolution in AI mini PC Ryzen Strix Halo series. Thanks to AMD Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) the core-count is effectively doubled, to 32 threads. Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 64 MB of L3 cache and can boost up to 5.1 GHz, depending on the workload. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is currently rated as the "most powerful x86 APU" on the market for AI computing.
- AI NPU with XDNA 2 ARCHITECTURE - Powered by 16 “Zen 5” CPU cores, 50+ peak AI TOPS XDNA 2 NPU and a truly massive integrated GPU driven by 40 AMD RDNA 3.5 CUs, the Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 is a transformative upgrade and delivers a significant performance boost over the competition. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 excels in consumer AI workloads like the llama.cpp-powered application: LM Studio. Shaping up to be the must-have app for client LLM workloads, LM Studio allows users to locally run the latest language model without any technical knowledge required and unleash their creativity and productivity.
- AMD RADEON 8090S iGPU GAMING PC - The AMD Radeon RX 8060S offers all 40 CUs with up to 2.9 GHz graphics clock and uses the new RDNA 3.5 architecture. The powerful iGPU is positioned between an RTX 4060 and 4070 laptop GPU and therefore enables gaming in FHD at maximum details in most demanding games. The 8060S can also utilize the full 128GB pool, which is perfect for running LLMs such as Deepseek 70B Q8, which runs comfortably on this machine.
- EIGHT CHANNEL LPDDR5X - LPDDR5X is a new ground breaking memory small form factor installed on-board. With blazing speeds up to to 8000MT/s, it runs 1.5x faster than the DDR5 SODIMMs; 90% better performance over DDR5 SODIMMs in video conferencing and photo editing; 30% better performance in productivity apps; 12% better performance in digital content workloads.
- QUAD SCREEN 8K DISPLAY SUPPORT - EVO-X2 AI Mini PC support 4-screen 4K/8K output via HDMI 2.1 (8K@60Hz), DisplayPort 1.4 (4K@60Hz), and dual USB 4 40Gbps Transfer speed (supporting PD3.0/DP1.4/DATA). Ideal for gaming, video editing, and multitasking, it provides expansive and crisp multi-display support.
macOS
Use the macOS download on Ollama’s page. The page also provides this Terminal command for macOS and Linux:
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
Open Ollama after installation. Do not use this shell command in Windows PowerShell.
Windows
Use the Windows download from Ollama’s page. Its PowerShell installation command is:
irm https://ollama.com/install.ps1 | iex
Run that command in PowerShell, not in a macOS or Linux terminal. The Windows download page currently states Windows 10 or later.
Rank #2
- Built for Local AI Development: AMD Ryzen AI Halo is designed for local AI development and inference, featuring 128GB unified memory and support for up to 200B parameter models to build and run intensive AI workloads locally.
- 128GB Unified Memory: Features 128GB LPDDR5x unified memory at 8000 MT/s with 256 GB/s memory bandwidth, providing a shared memory pool across the CPU, GPU, and NPU to support larger AI models.
- AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Processor: Features 16 cores, 32 threads, and Zen 5 architecture, paired with AMD Radeon 8060S integrated graphics featuring 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units and an AMD XDNA 2 NPU with up to 50 TOPS.
- Linux AI Developer Platform: Purpose-built for Linux-based AI development with full AMD ROCm software support and preloaded tools, models, and workflows optimized for local AI development.
- Compact, Connected Design: Includes a 2TB M.2 SSD, 10GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C connectivity, and HDMI 2.1b.
Linux
Use the Linux installation instructions on Ollama’s official download page. The page currently shows the same shell command listed for macOS:
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
Run your first local model
-
Install and open Ollama for your operating system.
-
Open a terminal (or PowerShell on Windows) and run
ollama run gemma4:e2b. -
Wait while Ollama downloads the model. The first run needs to retrieve its model files before the chat begins.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
When the interactive prompt appears, type a message to chat. Enter
/byeto exit.Rank #3
GMKtec EVO-X2 AI Mini PC AMD Ryzen Al Max+ 395 Up to 5.1GHz, 16C/32T- EVOLUTION AMD RYZEN AI MAX+ 395 MINI PC - GMKtec EVO-X2 is the next evolution in AI mini PC Ryzen Strix Halo series. Thanks to AMD Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) the core-count is effectively doubled, to 32 threads. Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 64 MB of L3 cache and can boost up to 5.1 GHz, depending on the workload. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is currently rated as the "most powerful x86 APU" on the market for AI computing.
- AI NPU with XDNA 2 ARCHITECTURE - Powered by 16 “Zen 5” CPU cores, 50+ peak AI TOPS XDNA 2 NPU and a truly massive integrated GPU driven by 40 AMD RDNA 3.5 CUs, the Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 is a transformative upgrade and delivers a significant performance boost over the competition. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 excels in consumer AI workloads like the llama.cpp-powered application: LM Studio. Shaping up to be the must-have app for client LLM workloads, LM Studio allows users to locally run the latest language model without any technical knowledge required and unleash their creativity and productivity.
- AMD RADEON 8090S iGPU GAMING PC - The AMD Radeon RX 8060S offers all 40 CUs with up to 2.9 GHz graphics clock and uses the new RDNA 3.5 architecture. The powerful iGPU is positioned between an RTX 4060 and 4070 laptop GPU and therefore enables gaming in FHD at maximum details in most demanding games. The 8060S can also utilize the full 64GB pool, which is perfect for running LLMs such as Deepseek 32B, which runs comfortably on this machine.
- EIGHT CHANNEL LPDDR5X - LPDDR5X is a new ground breaking memory small form factor installed on-board. With blazing speeds up to to 8000MT/s, it runs 1.5x faster than the DDR5 SODIMMs; 90% better performance over DDR5 SODIMMs in video conferencing and photo editing; 30% better performance in productivity apps; 4% better performance in digital content workloads.
- QUAD SCREEN 8K DISPLAY SUPPORT - EVO-X2 AI Mini PC support 4-screen 4K/8K output via HDMI 2.1 (8K@60Hz), DisplayPort 1.4 (4K@60Hz), and dual USB 4 40Gbps Transfer speed (supporting PD3.0/DP1.4/DATA). Ideal for gaming, video editing, and multitasking, it provides expansive and crisp multi-display support.
This is the direct chat-first route in Ollama’s Quickstart. You do not need to make an API request to try the model.
Use the Ollama desktop app instead (optional)
Ollama also offers a desktop app for macOS and Windows. The app can download models and provide a chat interface; Ollama’s July 30, 2025 announcement also described dragging files into a chat. Choose the app if you prefer a graphical interface, or use the terminal command above as a concise, repeatable first-run example. The cited app announcement covers macOS and Windows, not Linux.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check hardware compatibility and diagnose a slow run
Local inference depends on the model, available memory, GPU, operating system, and supported drivers or backend. Ollama documents NVIDIA, AMD, Apple Metal, and Vulkan GPU paths, with platform and driver qualifications. Its current hardware documentation lists NVIDIA compute capability 5.0+ and driver 550+, with driver 570+ for compute capabilities 5.0–6.2; AMD support depends on ROCm and platform, Metal is the Apple GPU path, and Vulkan provides additional Windows/Linux GPU options. Check the live Ollama hardware support page for the current compatibility details rather than assuming a GPU will accelerate every setup.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11-
If the model responds slowly, performance may be limited by available memory or hardware. The Quickstart says RAM fallback can make responses slower.
Rank #4
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max Mini Workstation AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395(16C/32T) 64GB LPDDR5 2TB SSD Mini PC, HDMI+2X USB4+2X USB4 V2 Video Output, 2x10G RJ45 Port, WiFi7, BT5.4, Radeon 8060S Graphics Computer- 【Leading AI Mini Workstation】MINISFORUM AI MS-S1 Max Workstation comes with AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, which uses AMD's latest generation Zen 5 architecture. It has 16 Cores and 32 Threads, the boost clock is up to 5.1GHz. The overall processor performance is up to 126 TOPS, and the NPU performance reaches up to 50 TOPS. AMD Ryzen AI enables improved productivity, advanced collaboration, and improved efficiency.
- 【AMD Radeon 8060S Graphics 】The MS-S1 Max Mini PC equipped with AMD Radeon 8060S Graphics which built on the new generation of RDNA 3.5 architecture AMD graphics, it brings ultra-high frame rate experiences and advanced content creation features anywhere and delivers staggering performance. It can handle all your computing and multimedia tasks efficiently.
- 【Five 8K Video Output】This MS-S1 Max Workstation comes with five video outputs, 1x HDMI (8K@60Hz), 2x USB4(40Gbps,Alt DP2.0,PD out 15W) and 2x USB4 V2(80Gbps,Alt DP2.0,PD out 15W) Outputs, which support multiple monitors display at the same time and provide a larger and wider filed of view and improve your work efficiency. It is used in fields that require high-performance computing and graphics processing, including digital signage and securities trading, as well as work that uses CAD, such as engineering design, scientific calculations, animation production, and post-production for movies and television
- 【 Fast and Stable Wire & Wireless Speed】It comes with Two 10G Lan Ports for wired connection and and Wi-Fi 7 / BT5.4 for wireless connection, which increased the network speed greatly and expand its functions and improved performance of computer to a large extent and allows you to use more networks such as software routers (OpenWRT / DD-WRT / Tomato etc.), firewalls, NAT, network isolation etc.
- 【Large Storage & Flexible Expandability】This Workstation equipped with 64GB LPDDR5-8000MHz + 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe4.0 SSD. There is another PCIe4.0 SSD slot available for up to 8TB, these SSD slots are compatible with RAID0 and RAID1, you can store movies, videos, photos, important files easily. What’s more, it also comes with 1x standard PCIex16 slot(PCIe4.0x4) inside.
-
Check whether your GPU family, operating system, and driver or backend are listed as supported.
-
If memory is tight, try a model or context size suited to your machine. Requirements are model-specific; the Gemma 4 E2B figures above are not universal Ollama minimums.
Model files use disk space, but storage is not inference memory: an external SSD can store downloads, yet it does not replace VRAM or Mac unified memory.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
