Complete Guide: Run DeepSeek R1 AI in VS Code for Free

🚀 Why DeepSeek R1 Stands Out

• Free & Open Source: No subscription fees (Live Demo)
• Performance Leader: Beats GPT-4/Claude 3.5 in coding & math
• Hardware Flexible: From 1.5B (basic PCs) to 70B (workstation) models

💡 Before You Start

• RAM Calculator: Use LLM Calc
• Low-end PC? Choose 1.5B or quantized models
• Privacy First: Local operation = zero data leaks

🖥️ Model Selector Guide

1.5B Model (Entry-Level)

• RAM: 4GB
• GPU: Integrated/Mobile
• Use Case: Simple code completion

7B Model (Recommended)

• RAM: 8-10GB
• GPU: GTX 1660+
• Use Case: Full-stack development

70B Model (Power User)

• RAM: 40GB+
• GPU: RTX 3090+
• Use Case: Complex algorithms

🔧 Installation Methods

Option 1: LM Studio (Beginner-Friendly)

1. Download from lmstudio.ai
2. Search → "DeepSeek R1" → Download GGUF/MLX version
3. Start server at localhost:1234

Option 2: Ollama (Terminal Pros)

1. Install via ollama.com
2. Run: ollama pull deepseek-r1:7b
3. Start with ollama serve → localhost:11434

Option 3: Jan (Hugging Face Users)

1. Get Jan Client
2. Search Hugging Face for "unsloth/DeepSeek-R1-GGUF"
3. Import → Load → Auto-starts at localhost:1337

⚙️ VS Code Integration

1. Install Cline or Roo Code
2. Configure:
   • LM Studio/Jan: http://localhost:1234
   • Ollama: http://localhost:11434
3. Test with code comment: // Generate Python quicksort function

🎁 Pro Tips

• Use --gpu-layers 30 flag in Ollama for better GPU utilization
• Enable "Auto-Trigger" in Cline for real-time suggestions
• Combine with Tabnine for hybrid AI coding

👉 Official Docs: DeepSeek Documentation