Stuck scaling a Next.js app on M3 Pro (36GB) using local Qwen 3.6 + VS Code Copilot. Should I switch extensions or go paid?

Hey everyone, I’m a Full-Stack Developer with 6+ years of experience. I’m relatively new to AI-assisted development workflows and want to build a production-ready, enterprise-level Next.js web application using local models. I’ve gone through workshops in Youtube (Matt Pocock, AI Engineer community) and set up UI/UX and frontend developer prompt skills. I can get the model to build simple, isolated apps (Sudoku, Snake games) with some back-and-forth debugging, but scaling to a real project is breaking down. My Setup & Specs: Hardware: MacBook Pro M3 Pro (36GB Unified Memory) Model: qwen3.6:35b-mlx running via Ollama Performance: ~40–45 tokens/sec generation speed Editor Harness: VS Code + GitHub Copilot extension pointing to localhost Ollama Context Settings: maxInputTokens: 64000 and maxOutputTokens: 4048 Daily Volume: ~15–20M tokens/day (Input + Output combined due to active workspace indexing/prompts) Tech Stack: Next.js (App Router), TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, MongoDB The Problem: When attempting multi-file features across the App Router, the model generates cascading bugs: TypeScript type mismatches, hydration errors, broken relative imports, undeclared variables, and unreachable code. I feel stuck on how to properly structure the workflow to plan, execute, test, and deliver features without spending hours fighting hallucinated code. Questions for the Community: Context Window Configuration (num_ctx): What num_ctx settings are you running for a ~35B model on a 36GB Mac? The "Handoff Process": What does your actual handoff process look like when moving from high-level architectural planning to writing code? How do you break down multi-file App Router tasks so local models don't get confused between Server vs. Client boundaries and DB models? Workspace Instruction Files: Are there specific workspace instruction files (copilot-instructions.md, .clinerules, or .cursorrules) that keep local models strictly aligned with Next.js App Router rules (enforcing absolute @/* imports, strict TypeScript, and hydration safety)? Copilot vs. Agentic Alternatives: Is the standard VS Code Copilot extension pointing to Ollama holding me back for repository-level work? Would switching to agentic tools built for multi-file edits (like Cline, Aider, Continue, Claude Code, or Cursor) handle Qwen 3.6's context significantly better? Workflow Strategy: For those building production Next.js apps, do you stay 100% local, or should I change model or should I go paid? Would love to hear how other experienced devs structure their local-first or hybrid workflows! submitted by /u/Strange_Confusion958 [link] [comments]

Source: r/ollama | 2026-07-22

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