Gigabyte has officially released its new local AI model training and fine-tuning utility to work with a new line of AI-targeted hardware. Using the new utility with Gigabyte’s recommended hardware, users can locally train and fine-tune AI models with up to 236 billion parameters or more. Previously, training an AI model this size would typically require the help of a remote data center.
The new Linux-based AI TOP utility works with hardware Gigabyte and was explicitly designed to run AI models. The list includes motherboards, AI TOP-branded SSDs, graphics cards, and power supplies. Currently, the dedicated website comprises just a single power supply and motherboard. It also lists two SSDs and three graphics cards.
According to the press release, Other Gigabyte graphics cards should work with AI TOP. These include Gigabyte’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards, AMD Radeon RX 7900 series, Radeon Pro W7900, and W7800 series.
AI TOP is already set up to support more than 70 open-source LLM models on Hugging Face. These include Baichuan 2, Distill-GPT2, GLM4, Llama 2 and Llama 3, and more. While Hugging Face lists more than 770,000 different models, the selection in AI TOP is limited by several factors, including memory capacity limitations in what is effectively still desktop PC hardware.
By performing the AI model fine-tuning locally, users can be more assured their sensitive data remains secure and private when training the model. Users don’t need AI programming skills to use the tool, and a dashboard makes monitoring hardware loading states and training quality easy.
Gigabyte has simplified what used to be sophisticated command parameters for training AI models into customizable settings and easy-to-operate fine-tuning options. It provides what Gigabyte calls a “friendly graphical user interface” to help beginners and more experienced users understand the information and settings.
Gigabyte’s software also includes its AI TOP Tutor, AI technology to help with consultation for AI TOP solutions, setup guidance, and technical support for beginners and advanced AI model operators. The utility only runs under Linux and is available as a free download from Gigabyte’s web page.
