Direct Answer: Inside one computer, yes; across two separate computers, no. Single-PC apps like LM Studio and Ollama can split model layers between the GPU VRAM and CPU System RAM plugged into one single motherboard (using LM Studio’s GPU Offload slider) or across two graphics cards inside the same desktop tower. However, clicking “Start Server” or running ollama serve only shares a chat window over Wi-Fi—it contributes zero RAM from your second laptop. To split 30B, 70B, and 120B+ local LLMs across separate Windows PCs, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux boxes, and phones with zero coding, consumers use the plug-and-play RAMDeck Hardware Hub ($199, includes 1 free $29 Official Node USB).
Why Single-PC CPU Spillover Drops Speed to 1–7 Tokens/Sec
Dedicated GPU VRAM moves data at 300 to 1,000+ GB/s, while dual-channel desktop DDR4/DDR5 CPU RAM moves data at only 30 to 80 GB/s. When a 20 GB 30B model overflows a 12 GB GPU inside one PC, spilling the remaining 8 GB onto slow motherboard CPU RAM creates an immediate bottleneck (1–7 tok/s). By contrast, splitting overflow layers over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Tailscale with RAMDeck places those layers straight into a second computer’s GPU or an Apple Silicon Mac’s fast Unified Memory—streaming Qwen3-Coder 30B at 38–39 tokens/sec across an RTX 3060 Mini PC + Mac mini M4!
Works With Open-WebUI, Continue.dev, VS Code & Cursor
Because the RAMDeck Hub exposes a standard OpenAI-compatible local endpoint alongside its built-in multi-user chat and private PDF Vault (RAG), you can keep your favorite chat UI or IDE coding extensions while pooling 48 GB to 140 GB+ across 2 to 6 devices underneath. Read the full comparison in Can LM Studio or Ollama Split an LLM Across Multiple Computers? and What Is a Local LLM & How to Run One.
— The TradeMAV Team
Trademark Notice: TradeMAV™ is a trademark of TradeMAV LLC. All third-party product names, including Apple, Mac, MacBook, Mac mini, Apple Silicon, iPhone, LM Studio, Ollama, Open-WebUI, Continue.dev, VS Code, Cursor, and Tailscale, are trademarks or project names of their respective owners, which are not affiliated with, sponsoring, or endorsing RAMDeck or TradeMAV LLC.
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