Overview This meeting is the 2nd annual in-person gathering of the GPU Innovators User Community. In our inaugural meeting last year in Atlanta, we packed the room with passionate discussions about NVIDIA's Grace Hopper and Blackwell architectures—the powerhouse hardware that makes today's AI revolution possible. This year, we're taking the next logical step in our community's journey: transitioning from metal to models. TL;DR We'll tackle the questions keeping you up at night—which models fit your research needs, what hardware specifications actually matter, and how to deploy these systems using the open-source tools you already trust. Lunch is served afterwards at the Blues Museum down the street. Intended Audience This talk is designed for research computing professionals, HPC administrators, academic researchers, and AI enthusiasts seeking practical guidance on deploying open-source LLMs, selecting appropriate models, and integrating them into existing research computing infrastructure. Session Description The rapid evolution of open-source large language models presents researchers with unprecedented opportunities to deploy powerful AI capabilities while maintaining complete control over sensitive data and computational workflows. This tutorial addresses the critical challenge facing research computing centers: how to navigate the complex landscape of open-source LLMs to make informed decisions about model selection, hardware requirements, and […]