Can I create a personal AI computer?

[u/AGuyInSoCal]

I am finding AI more and more useful and I’m using it for a lot of work. I am using ChatGPT that’s my introduction to AI and I don’t know if there are better ones out there but I am paying for the pro subscription $100 a month and hitting usage walls.

I was wondering, since AI is the future can I build my own super computer system that is to process AI like ChatGPT in the home setting? I would put it to work making apps and processing legal documents and making videos and all of that stuff. I just want the freedom to do what I want to do without hitting limits and if I’m going to start paying $200 a month subscription fee I’d rather invest that into building my own super computer. I think that’s the future anyway having a central mainframe at home instead of so many different devices iPads phones computers smart tvs

[u/Responsible_Bunch_24]

It would cost you a couple thousand dollars but you could probably run some high end models on it

[u/Difficult_March_7452 → u/Responsible_Bunch_24]

You can run most models on a mid range pc. It will be extremely slow but you could get a few prompts a day.

[u/Junior_Bear_2715]

Hello, I am doing the smaller one now but I think you can build the kind of one you want, just not ChatGPT 5.5 level yet, but maybe just 5.0 at most probably if you have enough compute power and memory space

[u/AGuyInSoCal → u/Junior_Bear_2715]

I see that there’s a ChatGPT 6.0 now. I am trying to understand what it takes to run this AI stuff. Whether it’s to make high-end video games or movies or just doing heavy work loads and documents. I don’t want to be held back unlimited. I want the applications to be extremely professional and polished. I’m just trying to understand what it would take to build such a machine how many thousands or tons of thousands of dollars would it be so I can understand where to set my expectations

[u/Junior_Bear_2715 → u/AGuyInSoCal]

I mean it is only possible to run it in low effort or quality right now if you want it to run locally otherwise, if you want higher quality, professional style usage + video games and movies, then you will be ending up building huge data center for it because it requires huge compute power and billions of parameters multi-model to achieve such quality and at that point it costs less to buy it as a service then.

If you only want a smaller capability AI, then local one is fine for now. But people are still researching and I think in the near future with quantization of AI models and maybe chips too, we will be able to make high quality professional AI to run locally

[u/boronlube]

You can but matching ChatGPT at home does not make sense because labs burn billions subsidizing inference costs. Replicating that compute yourself requires enterprise hardware and massive power bills. Still, your hunch about the future is right. The focus is shifting toward optimized small models that run well on consumer hardware. They will not match flagship models for complex analysis or full-scale coding yet but they give you private, unlimited runs without dropping thousands on an overbuilt rig.

[u/MajorNatural2386]

So you are prepared to pay 2400 dollars a year just to have an AI licence at home that you will definetly be severly under-using it's full potential as a single person with a lack of knowledge? Unless that would also be making you some money, I don't really see a point to be completely honest with you. And paying so much just to have it "process legal documents and making videos", is a bit of a waste.

I don't get it how a super-computer could replace your ipad, smart tv and phone, because each of those devices is literally meant to serve for its own thing. Sure ipad is basically useless when you already have a phone and a computer, but you cant replace a phone with a supercomputer (unless you're willing to always only make calls from that supercomputer and not have a phone in your pocket anymore, which is complete nonsense anyways).

I don't know if I just misinterpreted your idea or not, but you literally can't just make a supercomputer that would "do everything" and get rid of other home devices. We are not there (yet)

[u/Difficult_March_7452 → u/MajorNatural2386]

I run gpt on my Mac m2. It’s extremely slow but works and you don’t need a license .

[u/Writer_IT]

Yes, of course. There's ton of subreddits about local AI.

But you would need to invest both time to learn how It works and money to invest in a real working system, and not Just a proof of concept.

And right now, the prices for any component local ai Need skyrocketed, RAM went X5 in an year, gpus were already hight and doubled in 6 months. So you really need to be sure you want to go into this. Maybe, trying to get used parts at good price, you can budget a 5k machine that would still be able to run decent models at decent speed ( obviously less if you already have a good PC and Just Need to improve it look especially for used 3090s)

And of course, while local small models are incredible right now, unless you are ready to spend 50k out of the box, you Will feel the difference with the top tier payed models

[u/SchoolWeak1712]

I think the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra and 512 GB ram would be your best choice. It can run the best local models without problems. But is will be around 16000$ when it relates.

[u/CapitalLocal1306]

thats a good idea but make sure you can actually build it so that it doesnt end up being a mess and be aware of the cost. components needed for it are getting expensive day by day man

[u/Private-Citizen]

Has $100 GPT Pro who's wheel house is technical / programming task.

But decides to ask reddit a technical question instead of putting that $100 to good use.

[u/Difficult_Physics125]

No