How to run a local LLM on the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
A step-by-step setup for beginners. With 24 GB of graphics memory, the best everyday model for this card is Qwen3 32B, which runs faster than you can read.
What to run on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX
The best model for each job that fits fully in memory at the default Q4_K_M download and runs at a comfortable reading speed.
| Job | Model | Speed | Ollama command |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chat and everyday questions |  Qwen3 32B | Faster than you can read | ollama run qwen3:32b |
| Help with code | Qwen3 Coder 30B-A3B | Very fast: answers appear almost instantly | ollama run qwen3-coder:30b |
| Writing and editing |  Gemma 3 27B | Fast: a paragraph in a couple of seconds | ollama run gemma3:27b |
| Questions about my documents | Qwen3 30B-A3B | Very fast: answers appear almost instantly | ollama run qwen3:30b |
| Maths, logic and homework | Qwen3 32B | Faster than you can read | ollama run qwen3:32b |
Set up Qwen3 32B in about ten minutes
On AMD cards LM Studio is the easier choice: it uses Vulkan, which works with most Radeon cards. Pick one app. LM Studio is easiest if you've never used a terminal.
LM Studio on Windows
- 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 32B 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 32B, and type your first message.
Ollama on Windows
- Go to ollama.com/download and download the Windows installer.
- Run OllamaSetup.exe. When it finishes, Ollama keeps running in the background (look for the llama icon by the clock).
- Open PowerShell (search for "PowerShell" in the Start menu) and run the command below. The first time, it downloads Qwen3 32B, which can take a while.
ollama run qwen3:32b- When you see
>>>, type a message and press Enter. Type/byeto quit. Ollama's own app window can also chat with any model you have downloaded.
On Linux? Follow the LM Studio or Ollama Linux guide instead.
If something goes wrong
The four problems beginners hit most.
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.
Run it in the cloud
Want a bigger model than the Radeon RX 7900 XTX can hold?
Rent a GPU with more memory by the hour, or see whether upgrading or renting is cheaper for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best local LLM for the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX?
For everyday chat, Qwen3 32B: it fits in the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX's 24 GB at Q4_K_M and runs at about 29 tokens per second.
Should I use LM Studio or Ollama on the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX?
LM Studio is the easier choice on AMD cards because it uses Vulkan. Ollama works too on newer Radeon cards.
Can the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX run a 70B model?
Not fully in memory: a 70B model needs about 46.1 GB at Q4_K_M. It would spill into system RAM and run very slowly, so renting a GPU is the practical option.