When will PC CPUs be able to run LLMs for real?

They already can, but, only if you really invested in a performant computer in last few years. If you really invested 10 years ago, you might also get lucky, but that RTX and high VRAM will be key.

Oh, or you could also use a Mac or recent iPhone, they do fine too, today.

Tomorrow is only speculation, but it looks promising, with all the new optimizations and realizations that LLMs aren’t the king of the hill, they are an option on a spectrum of choices.

Optimized small models might surprise you.