Guide to Local Vibe Coding with AMD Ryzen AI and Radeon GPU

The process of writing software is experiencing a fundamental change. With the rise of sophisticated large language models, AI pair coding, also known as “Vibe Coding,” is becoming more accessible. This approach allows a user’s intent and creativity to work with system intelligence to translate ideas directly into functional programs.

While powerful coding models were once limited to the cloud, many are now available to run locally. This guide will walk you through setting up a local “Vibe Coding” environment on your AMD-powered machine using tools like LM Studio, Cline, and Microsoft VS Code.

Why Vibe Code Locally on AMD?

Running your AI coding assistant on your local AMD hardware provides several key advantages:

• Privacy: All processing is done on your device, ensuring sensitive code and data remain private on your machine.
• Cost-Effective: Executing models locally eliminates recurring cloud service costs, allowing for extensive experimentation without usage-based bills.

These benefits make AMD Ryzen™ AI and Radeon™ platforms an excellent foundation for daily vibe coding.

Setup and Installation Guide

Follow these steps to configure your system for local vibe coding.

Step 1: Install AMD Drivers

Ensure your drivers are up to date for the latest llama.cpp support10. Using older drivers may cause models to load incorrectly or perform poorly.

• For most users, install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 25.9.1 or higher.
• For commercial customers, download AMD Software: PRO Edition 25.Q3 or higher.
• Users with AMD Radeon™ and Radeon™ PRO graphics cards can skip to Step 3.

Step 2: Configure Graphics Memory (AMD Ryzen™ AI Only)

If you are using an AMD Ryzen™ AI platform, you must set the AMD Variable Graphics Memory (VGM) correctly.

• For most Ryzen™ AI platforms: Right-click on your desktop, navigate to AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition > Performance > Tuning to access the VGM control panel.
• For AMD Ryzen™ AI PRO platforms: Reboot your computer into the BIOS to set the Dedicated Graphics Memory.

Refer to the support matrix below to find the correct VGM setting for your hardware. Once configured, restart your computer.

Step 3: Install Required Software

1. Download and install Git for Windows.
2. Download and install LM Studio. You can skip the onboarding process.
3. Download and install VS Code for Windows.
4. Navigate to the Cline Website and install the Cline extension for VS Code.

Step 4: Configure LM Studio

1. In LM Studio, go to the search tab (magnifying glass icon). Search for the model recommended for your hardware in the support matrix below. We suggest using “LM Studio Community models” as the vendor.
2. Select the model on the left, and then choose the correct quantization from the “Download Options” menu on the right.
3. Go to the server tab (command line icon).
4. In the drop-down menu at the top, select the model you just downloaded.
5. Check “manually select parameters” and then click Load.
6. Check “show advanced settings”.
7. Set the Context Length according to the value in the product support matrix.
8. Important: Check the box for Flash Attention. This is required for high context to load properly.
9. Check “remember settings for” and click Load.
10. Minimize the LM Studio window, but do not close it.

Step 5: Configure VS Code and Cline

Cline is an open-source AI coding bot for VS Code that can use local models via LM Studio to read/write files and perform autonomous coding tasks.

1. After installing Cline in VS Code, select “LM Studio” as the LLM provider.
2. In VS Code, click the Cline icon on the right-hand side, then click the settings icon (wheel nut).
3. Under Plan Mode and Act Mode, ensure the API configuration is set to the model you downloaded in LM Studio (e.g., Qwen 3 Coder).
4. Consult the support matrix below to determine if you should turn on Compact Prompts.
5. In the same Cline settings menu, click on “terminal settings” (command line icon) on the left.
6. Change the “Default Terminal Profile” to “Git Bash”.
7. Click Done to save and close the settings.

Start Vibe Coding

You are now ready to start coding with AI.

1. In Cline, start a new “Plan” task. You can use the sample prompt below.
2. Once Cline responds with a plan, switch the toggle to “Act” mode to let it begin executing the task.

Sample Prompt:

Design a fully functional, fully complete, webpage for an interactive simulation of a n-body problem that I can run locally. Start by creating a folder called “Nbody Simulation” on my desktop. Make sure all project files are created inside this folder.

Hardware Support and Configuration Matrices

Use these tables to find the correct settings and recommended models for your specific AMD hardware.