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Keep native Windows, WSL and container installations distinct. Record which server process and GPU actually handle the measured request.
Ollama has a native Windows installation path for compatible GPUs. Verify the installation environment, exact card, background process and actual model placement before judging performance. A Windows desktop, WSL server and Docker container are separate environments and should not be treated as one installation.
Choose one installation path
Start with the official Windows instructions and identify the process serving the local API. A client in one terminal can talk to a background application started elsewhere. Mixing paths makes it difficult to know which configuration, cache and environment variables are active.
Record the application version and launch method. If another Ollama installation exists in WSL or a container, keep its endpoint separate in the test notes. The goal is an unambiguous route from the client request to the process loading weights.
Verify support for the exact card
Find the full GPU model in system information and check the official support list for the operating system. Save driver details as well. Brand recognition or the fact that a game uses the card does not prove that this inference backend supports the same hardware path.
On a machine with integrated and discrete graphics, establish which device and backend are selected. Do not infer placement from the display adapter driving the monitor. Server discovery logs and workload observations should agree.
Test a small model and inspect placement
Run a small available model, wait for it to load and use ollama ps. Save the artifact’s exact tag, context and processor placement. Compare that result with a short known request while observing the corresponding process.
Close only your own heavy applications when the machine’s shared use permits it. A clean test and ordinary working-day use are different conditions. Record both if this workstation must continue serving its owner while running model tasks.
Inspect background logs and repeat
Changing a terminal variable does not necessarily change a process already running in the background. Restart the appropriate application by its documented procedure and inspect its log. Preserve the original discovery or loading error rather than relying on an approximate recollection.
Use an acceptance sequence: load the model, send a short request, restart the application and repeat. Then check that required files and settings are available after a computer restart. Sleep, user activity and competing applications affect the machine’s available schedule, so include them when describing a workable GPU pilot rather than reporting only the card name.
Turn the check into a practical next step
Keep native Windows, WSL and container installations distinct. Record which server process and GPU actually handle the measured request.
For the documented details, consult the primary documentation; configuration reference; additional official reference. Continue with ollama does not use gpu and ollama keep alive unload.