How to install LM Studio on Windows and run your first AI model
Easiest for beginners. A normal app with a chat window: you search for a model, click download, and start typing. No commands. These steps use Qwen3 8B as the example; swap in any model.
Step by step
You need: Windows 10 or 11 on a 64-bit PC. NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards work out of the box; LM Studio downloads the right GPU support itself.
- Go to lmstudio.ai and click Download for Windows.
- Open the downloaded installer and click through it. LM Studio opens when it finishes.
- If it offers to download a first model, you can skip that. Click the search (magnifying glass) icon in the left sidebar to open Discover.
- Type Qwen3 8B in the search box and pick the result from a well-known publisher such as lmstudio-community.
- Choose the Q4_K_M download if a list of versions appears. LM Studio marks versions that fit your GPU with a green "Full GPU offload possible" label. Click Download and wait for it to finish.
- Open the Chat tab, click Select a model to load at the top, pick Qwen3 8B, and type your first message.
That's it: you're running AI on your own computer. If something goes wrong, see the fixes below.
Not sure which model?
Answer two questions and get the model that fits your hardware, with these steps filled in for it.
Prefer Ollama?
One command downloads and runs a model. Good if you are comfortable with a terminal, or want other apps and coding tools to use your local model.
Which model to try first
The best everyday chat model that runs at a comfortable speed for each amount of graphics memory. Search for the name in LM Studio's Discover tab.
| Your GPU | Model | Download size |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB graphics card |  Qwen3 8B | about 5 GB |
| 12 GB graphics card |  Gemma 3 12B | about 7.4 GB |
| 16 GB graphics card |  gpt-oss 20B | about 12.7 GB |
| 24 GB graphics card | Qwen3 32B | about 19.9 GB |
| 32 GB graphics card | Qwen3 32B | about 19.9 GB |
If something goes wrong
The four problems beginners hit most, and how to fix them.
Out of memory or won't load
The model plus its working memory doesn't fit in your graphics memory. Here is how to make it fit, from the easiest fix to the most advanced.
It's really slow
Most slowness comes from the model not fitting fully in graphics memory, or from "thinking" models reasoning before they answer.
It's not using my GPU
If your graphics card sits idle while the CPU does all the work, one of these is usually the reason.
Weird, wrong or repeating answers
Local models can be excellent, but small or badly configured ones make mistakes that paid assistants don't. Here is what to check.
Frequently asked questions
Is LM Studio free?
Yes. LM Studio is free to download and use, and so are the models in this guide.
Does LM Studio on Windows need the internet?
Only to download the app and the model. After that, chats run entirely on your computer and work offline.
How much space do I need for LM Studio?
The app itself is small. Each model is a separate download, typically 2 to 20 GB; Qwen3 8B is about 5 GB.