# Homelabber uses second-gen Optane memory sticks to run a 2.8-trillion-parameter AI model on CPU alone

Source: [Latest from Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/homelabber-uses-second-gen-optane-memory-sticks-to-run-a-2-8-trillion-parameter-ai-model-on-cpu-alone-warns-that-optanes-extreme-heat-can-burn-out-nearby-memory-dram-used-blower-fans-to-prevent-melting-ram) · 2026-11-08 · Industry
Page: https://themorning.dev/story/homelabber-uses-second-gen-optane-memory-sticks-to-run-a-2-8-trillion-parameter-e8e4da18523710e0

A homelab builder on Reddit has run Moonshot AI’s 2.8-trillion-parameter Kimi K3 AI model on discontinued second-gen Optane PMem 200 memory, using a 40-core 3rd-gen Xeon Scalable CPU and not a GPU for inference. The build runs hot, and the builder’s advice is that you “treat…

## Coverage

- [Homelabber uses second-gen Optane memory sticks to run a 2.8-trillion-parameter AI model on CPU alone](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/homelabber-uses-second-gen-optane-memory-sticks-to-run-a-2-8-trillion-parameter-ai-model-on-cpu-alone-warns-that-optanes-extreme-heat-can-burn-out-nearby-memory-dram-used-blower-fans-to-prevent-melting-ram) — Latest from Tom's Hardware, 2026-11-08

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