> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> This content comes from the official Perplexity Help Center. Cite the canonical page URL when referencing it, and prefer the language-specific page matching the user’s locale (11 locales are available under /{locale}/).

# What is Portable Computer?

> Learn what Portable Computer is and how it runs the model and agent on your own NVIDIA DGX Spark or supported RTX hardware for Pro and Max subscribers.

Portable Computer runs Perplexity Computer's model and agent on your own
hardware, so tasks execute on your device instead of in the cloud. It is
available to Pro and Max subscribers on an NVIDIA DGX Spark, or on a Windows or
Linux PC with a supported NVIDIA RTX GPU.

<h2 id="why-use-portable-computer">Why use Portable Computer</h2>

* **Keep sensitive work on the device.** Files, queries, and agent activity stay
  on your machine unless you approve sending something to the cloud.
* **Run long or recurring work without spending credits.** Work handled by the
  local model does not consume Computer credits, which makes long-running and
  scheduled workflows practical.
* **Schedule work on your own hardware.** Recurring jobs such as a daily pull
  request review or a weekly summary of local files run on the device on a
  schedule you set.
* **Bring in the cloud only when you need it.** When a task needs current
  information or advanced reasoning, Portable Computer asks permission before
  routing that step.
* **Use tools running on your machine.** Local MCP servers let Portable Computer
  drive tools installed on your device, which cloud Computer does not do.

<h2 id="portable-computer-and-personal-computer">Portable Computer and Personal Computer</h2>

These are two different features, and both can be active at the same time.

| Feature           | What it does                                                                                                 |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Personal Computer | Gives Computer access to local filesystem tools, so it can find, read, create, and edit files on your device |
| Portable Computer | Runs the agent harness and model inference on your device, so the task itself executes locally               |

*Table 1 — How Portable Computer differs from Personal Computer.*

On Windows, Personal Computer is the app you install; Portable Computer is the
local inference you then turn on inside it. You can use Personal Computer without
Portable Computer, and local file access works either way.

<h2 id="what-runs-on-your-device">What runs on your device</h2>

Portable Computer is not a thin client. The following run locally:

* The local model that acts as orchestrator
* The planner and tool router
* The scheduler and durable task queue
* The local search index over your files and code
* The sandbox that isolates code and tool execution

Because the orchestrator runs locally, a task can start, plan, read local files,
execute tools, and finish without contacting Perplexity's servers.

<h2 id="local-models">Local models</h2>

| Model    | Where it is available                                   |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| PPLX 27B | DGX Spark, and supported Windows and Linux PCs          |
| Qwen 27B | DGX Spark, and supported Windows and Linux PCs          |
| Nemotron | Coming soon; appears in the picker as a disabled option |

*Table 2 — Local models and the hardware they run on.*

<Note>Only one local model runs at a time.</Note>

<h2 id="what-you-need">What you need</h2>

| Requirement      | Detail                                                                               |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Plan             | Pro or Max, on a personal or an Enterprise plan                                      |
| Hardware         | NVIDIA DGX Spark, or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX or RTX PRO GPU with 24 GB of VRAM or more |
| Operating system | Windows 10, Windows 11, Ubuntu, or DGX OS                                            |
| Free disk space  | Varies by platform and by the models you install. See **Disk space**.                |

*Table 3 — Requirements for running Portable Computer.*

<Note>
  The 24 GB VRAM requirement applies to the RTX GPU option. DGX Spark meets it on
  its own. If your GPU reports less, on-device models and their download controls
  are hidden and the **Local Inference** page shows a notice instead.
</Note>

<Note>
  If an organization manages your account, an administrator may need to allow
  local inference before you can use Portable Computer.
</Note>

### Disk space

| Platform and models                  | Approximate download                                   |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Windows, first setup with PPLX 27B   | 19.6 GB, including the inference engine and classifier |
| Windows, adding Qwen 27B             | A further 19.9 GB                                      |
| DGX Spark, first setup with PPLX 27B | 38.6 GB, including the engine and classifier           |

*Table 4 — Approximate download size by platform and model.*

<Note>
  Leave extra room beyond the download size. Files are unpacked after downloading,
  and model updates need the new model's size plus about 5 GB of headroom.
</Note>

<h2 id="h_setup">Set up Portable Computer</h2>

On Windows there is no separate installer, because local inference lives inside
the app you already have. Downloading a model is what sets it up, and selecting
that model in the composer is what switches a task to run locally.

### To set up Portable Computer on Windows

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Install the Perplexity app for Windows from the Microsoft Store or the
    Perplexity download page, then sign in. For detailed steps, see [**Get started
    with the desktop apps**](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800002-get-started).
  </Step>

  <Step>Open the **Menu** at the top left, then select **Settings**.</Step>
  <Step>Select **Local Inference**.</Step>

  <Step>
    Under **On-device models**, select the download button next to **PPLX 27B**.
    The app downloads the model and installs the local inference engine.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    When setup finishes, open the model menu in the composer and choose **PPLX
    27B** under **Local**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Before setup, the **Local** section of the model menu shows **Set up** instead of
  a model.
</Note>

<Note>
  On Windows, local file access is a separate setting from local inference. To let
  Portable Computer work with files on your device, enable **Local file system
  access** and turn on **Desktop tools** in **Settings → Permissions**. See [**Get
  started with the desktop apps**](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800002-get-started) for the full
  steps.
</Note>

### To set up Portable Computer on DGX Spark or Linux

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Add the Perplexity package repository and install the package:

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo curl -fsSL https://packages.perplexity.ai/perplexity.gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/perplexity.gpg
    echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/perplexity.gpg] https://packages.perplexity.ai/deb stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/perplexity.list
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install perplexity
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step>Open Perplexity and sign in.</Step>

  <Step>
    Open the **Menu**, select **Settings**, then select **Local Inference**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Under **On-device models**, select the download button next to **PPLX 27B**
    or **Qwen 27B**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    When setup finishes, open the model menu in the composer and choose your
    model under **Local**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>Ubuntu and DGX OS are the officially supported Linux distributions.</Note>

### To confirm Portable Computer is running locally

* Check that a local model is selected under **Local** in the model menu. Tasks
  run on the device while it is.
* Watch for the approval prompt. If a step needs the cloud, Portable Computer
  asks before sending anything from your device.

### To switch between local and cloud

* To run a task locally, select your local model under **Local** in the model
  menu before you start.
* To run a task in the cloud, select a cloud model instead.
* To allow a single cloud step inside a local task, approve the prompt when
  Portable Computer asks.

<h2 id="escalating-to-the-cloud">Escalating to the cloud</h2>

The local model only knows what is on your machine. When a task needs more,
Portable Computer can escalate a single step:

* **Perplexity Search, wide research, and deep research** return cited findings
  from the web into the same task.
* **Frontier models** handle advanced reasoning, with a choice of 15+ models.
* **Connected apps and browser use** run through the cloud when a step requires
  them.

<Info>
  Portable Computer asks for your permission before sending anything from your
  device to the cloud. A step you approve runs in the cloud and uses Computer
  credits at the standard rate.
</Info>

<h2 id="working-with-apps-and-local-tools">Working with apps and local tools</h2>

Portable Computer works with connected apps through the local orchestrator,
including Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive, and Word, plus Google Drive, Gmail,
Slack, and GitHub.

It also supports MCP servers running on your own machine, so it can drive local
tools. These run on your device and are used only in Local mode. Cloud Computer
uses separately managed cloud connectors and does not use servers configured
under **Settings → MCP servers**.

### To add a local MCP server

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Set up a local model and select it under **Local** in the model menu.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Open the **Menu**, select **Settings**, then select **MCP servers**.
  </Step>

  <Step>Select **Add server**.</Step>
  <Step>Choose **Local (stdio)**.</Step>

  <Step>
    Enter a **Name** and the absolute path to the **Command**. Use **Browse** to
    locate it.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Add **Arguments** one per line, and a **Working directory** or **Environment
    variables** if the server needs them.
  </Step>

  <Step>Select **Test** to check the connection, then select **Add**.</Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Local servers run outside the sandbox. They run with your permissions and can
  reach your files and the network, so only add servers you trust.
</Warning>

<Note>
  The **Command** must be an absolute path. Portable Computer does not search your
  `PATH`.
</Note>

<h2 id="scheduled-tasks">Scheduled tasks</h2>

You can schedule recurring work to run on the device. A scheduled task uses the
local scheduler and durable task queue, so it keeps running on your hardware
rather than in a cloud sandbox.

<h2 id="controls-and-limits">Controls and limits</h2>

* **Local work does not consume credits.** Steps you approve for cloud
  escalation are billed like other cloud Computer work.
* **Nothing leaves the device without approval.** You are prompted each time a
  task needs to send content to a cloud service.
* **Code and tools run in a sandbox.** Execution is isolated, with controlled
  access to your files and connected apps.
* **One local model at a time.** Switching models means loading a different one,
  not running both.
* **Brain is a cloud feature.** Brain and saved memory are not available in
  local mode.
* **The local model is smaller than a frontier model.** For advanced reasoning,
  escalate the step.

<h2 id="if-setup-does-not-complete">If setup does not complete</h2>

| Symptom you see                                                               | Most likely cause                                                       | How to fix it                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **On-device models** and the download controls are missing                    | The GPU reports less than 24 GB of VRAM                                 | Check your hardware against **What you need**; without a supported GPU, use Computer in the cloud                                                                                                                 |
| The download fails with **Not enough disk space**                             | The drive filled up during the download                                 | Free up space using the figures in **Disk space**, then start the download again                                                                                                                                  |
| Local file access is unavailable on Windows                                   | Local file system access has not been set up, or the app is out of date | Update the app, then enable **Local file system access** and turn on **Desktop tools** in **Settings → Permissions**. See [**Get started with the desktop apps**](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800002-get-started). |
| Local file access shows **Blocked by your organization**                      | An administrator has not allowed desktop tools                          | Ask an administrator in your organization to allow desktop tools                                                                                                                                                  |
| Local inference is unavailable and your account is managed by an organization | An administrator has not allowed local inference                        | Ask an administrator in your organization to allow local inference                                                                                                                                                |

*Table 5 — Setup symptoms, with the most likely cause and fix.*

<h2 id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently asked questions</h2>

### Does Portable Computer work on any Windows PC?

No. The Perplexity app for Windows runs on any supported Windows PC, but
Portable Computer's on-device inference needs an NVIDIA DGX Spark or an NVIDIA
GeForce RTX or RTX PRO GPU with 24 GB of VRAM or more. Without that hardware you
can still use Computer in the cloud.

### Is Portable Computer the same as Personal Computer?

No. Personal Computer gives Computer access to local filesystem tools. Portable
Computer runs the agent harness and model inference on your device. They are
separate features and both can be active at once.

### Do I need a separate app or subscription for Portable Computer?

No. Portable Computer is part of the Perplexity app on Windows and the
Perplexity package on Linux, and it is included with Pro and Max. There is no
separate download or subscription.

### Does Portable Computer use my Computer credits?

No, not for work the local model handles. Steps you approve for cloud escalation
use the cloud and consume credits at the standard rate.

### Can I use Portable Computer offline?

Local tasks run on your device, so they do not depend on a cloud round trip.
Signing in, downloading the model and inference engine, and any step you
escalate to the cloud all need an internet connection.

### When will Nemotron be selectable?

Nemotron appears in the model picker marked as coming soon and cannot be
selected yet. We will update this article when it becomes available.

<h2 id="need-more-help">Need more help?</h2>

[Contact us via **Help > Contact
Support**](https://www.perplexity.ai/?support=true#settings/account). You can also
get live chat support from the **?** icon at the bottom right of any Perplexity
screen.

<h2 id="related-articles">Related articles</h2>

* [What is Computer?](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/13837784-what-is-computer)
* [About the App](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800001-about-the-app)
* [Get started with the desktop apps](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800002-get-started)
* [Work with Local Files and
  Folders](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800004-work-with-local-files-and-folders)
* [Fix Local File and Folder
  Access](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800010-fix-local-file-and-folder-access)


## Related topics

- [Computer](/help-center/help-center/en/collections/18534886-computer.md)
- [What is Computer?](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/13837784-what-is-computer.md)
- [About the App](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800001-about-the-app.md)
- [Get started with the desktop apps](/help-center/help-center/en/articles/19800002-get-started.md)