# RobotNurse

> RobotNurse builds and runs local, open-weight AI on hardware you own — hands-on setup, buyers' notes, and honest field notes with every benchmark reproducible.

## Start here

- [RobotNurse](https://robotnurse.io/): Home — local AI setup, buyers' notes, and the field-note index.
- [About](https://robotnurse.io/about): One working engineer, on-site, setting up local AI on hardware you own.
- [FAQ](https://robotnurse.io/faq): On-site vs remote, coverage area, hardware cost, and what happens to your data.

## Local AI setup guides

- [Best Mac Studio config for local LLMs — 2026](https://robotnurse.io/gear/best-mac-studio-config/): M4/M2 Ultra vs Max, how much unified memory to actually buy, and which Mac Studio stays fast running 13B–30B models locally without the cloud bill.
- [Mac mini vs Mac Pro for local AI — which is worth it](https://robotnurse.io/gear/mac-mini-vs-mac-pro-local-ai/): Mac mini handles most local LLM work; Mac Pro only pays off for multi-model pro rigs. A straight-talking comparison with the numbers that matter.
- [How much RAM do you need for 7B, 13B, and 30B models?](https://robotnurse.io/gear/how-much-ram-for-local-llms/): Unified-memory budgets for 7B/13B/30B open-weight models at q4–q8: what fits in 32GB, 64GB, and why 96GB+ buys comfort, not just headroom.
- [amdgpu vs Mac for local inference — a fair fight](https://robotnurse.io/gear/amdgpu-vs-mac-local-inference/): AMD Linux boxes vs Apple silicon for local LLM inference: bandwidth, tooling pain, power draw, and the honest verdict on which is easier to own.
- [Mac Studio vs GPU PC for local AI — an honest comparison](https://robotnurse.io/gear/mac-studio-vs-gpu-pc-local-ai/): Perf per dollar, power draw, noise, and software ease, measured how ownership feels. When the Mac Studio wins, when the GPU PC wins, and when neither.
- [Best local AI setup under $3,000 — three builds that work](https://robotnurse.io/gear/best-local-ai-setup-under-3000/): Three price tiers — under $800, under $2,000, and the full $3,000 — with the parts list, what each runs comfortably, and what to skip.
- [RAM vs VRAM: how much memory do local LLMs actually need?](https://robotnurse.io/gear/ram-vs-vram-local-llms/): The memory math for local models: weights per parameter at q4/q8, KV-cache and context costs, unified vs discrete VRAM, and why offloading to system RAM hurts.
- [Turn an old gaming PC into a local AI box](https://robotnurse.io/gear/old-gaming-pc-local-ai/): You already own most of the machine. Here's what your VRAM actually runs, why a used 24GB card is the classic move, and the walkthrough from bare tower to serving a model.
- [Local AI setup service](https://robotnurse.io/local-ai-setup/): Hire an engineer to install and tune a private, offline language model on your own hardware.

## Sizing tools

- [Local LLM RAM Calculator](https://robotnurse.io/tools/ram-calculator/): Enter your unified memory or GPU VRAM and see which model sizes fit at 4-bit and 8-bit.
- [Model Fit Matrix](https://robotnurse.io/tools/model-fit/): Pick your machine and see which real open-weight models fit at their actual GGUF file sizes.
- [AI Cost Calculator](https://robotnurse.io/tools/cost-calculator/): Three years of cloud API spend vs buying your own hardware, with a break-even point in months.
- [Benchmark index](https://robotnurse.io/benchmarks/): Every measured figure from the field notes — throughput, memory/VRAM, context, and failure rates, source-cited and sortable.

## Services

- [Services](https://robotnurse.io/work/): On-site local AI setup on your own hardware in NYC + 3h — private, offline, no cloud bills.
- [Local AI readiness audit](https://robotnurse.io/audit/): A $899 documented review of your hardware, workload, and privacy posture, with a fixed quote.
- [Advice sessions](https://robotnurse.io/advise/): Hourly local AI consulting over a call — hardware choice, stack design, feasibility.
- [Packages](https://robotnurse.io/packages/): On-site local AI setup, priced plainly: audit, deployment, workshop, Care, and Managed.
- [AI for accountants and CPAs](https://robotnurse.io/cpa/): Client-confidential local AI for accounting firms — IRC §7216 and Circular 230 mapped onto on-prem hardware.
- [AI for medical and dental practices](https://robotnurse.io/medical-ai/): HIPAA-safe local AI for small practices — no third party touches PHI, no BAA blocker, Security Rule safeguards mapped.
- [AI for law firms](https://robotnurse.io/legal-ai/): Client-confidential local AI for law firms — ABA Formal Opinion 512 and Rule 1.6 mapped onto on-prem hardware.

## Field notes

- [Series](https://robotnurse.io/series/): The notebook, organized into six field-note series.
- [All posts](https://robotnurse.io/posts/): Every published field note, newest first.