Install ComfyUI
Video Lecture
| Section | Video Links |
|---|---|
| Install ComfyUI |  |
Welcome to ComfyUI
In the video, we introduce ComfyUI as a powerful open-source, node-based application for generative AI, capable of creating images, videos, 3D models and music. I strongly recommend installing the portable version from GitHub because generative AI is very resource-intensive. While a Windows installer is easier to set up, the portable version makes reconfigurations and understanding how it works in the file system much simpler. These are skills that you will need.
Essential System Requirements for ComfyUI
Generating AI assets on your computer is very resource-intensive. So, you should have a good quality minimum hardware setup:
- Graphics Card (GPU): A minimum of an Nvidia 30 series is recommended, with a 40 series (like the Nvidia GeForce 4060Ti used in the tutorial) or preferably a 50 series for a more enjoyable experience. Do not use a 10 or 20 series as your experience will not be enjoyable at all. High-quality graphics cards with a lot of VRAM are crucial.
- Storage (Disk Space): You will likely need hundreds of gigabytes of storage, potentially using up to 500 GB very quickly for AI models and generated assets. A dedicated drive, like a 2 TB disk, is highly recommended to avoid issues with your C drive filling up and affecting the performance of your operating system. The pre-built ComfyUI zip file alone is nearly 2 GB, and extracted it's 6.14 GB, with subsequent models also being multiple gigabytes.
- RAM (Memory): A minimum of 32 GB of RAM is suggested, with 64 GB being ideal. All downloaded files and models will be loaded into memory, making sufficient RAM important. If you lack significant RAM, disk space, and a good graphics card, using AI on your own computer might not be an enjoyable experience.
| Nvidia GPU | Data Types |
|---|---|
| 50 series (blackwell) | fp16, bf16, fp8, fp4 |
| 40 series (ada) | fp16, bf16, fp8 |
| 30 series (ampere) | fp16, bf16 |
| 20 series (turing) | fp16 |
| 10 series (pascal) and below | only slow full precision fp32. |
If using a 10 series, you can try to use the FP32 equivalent of the Stable Diffusion 1.5 pruned EMA only model.
Downloading and Extracting ComfyUI
The easiest way to download ComfyUI is from the "releases" section on its GitHub root, by selecting the most recent release (e.g., 3.4) and downloading the pre-built .7z file.
https://github.com/comfyanonymous/ComfyUI/releases
The downloaded file is nearly 2 GB. For Windows 11 users, you can right-click and select "extract all" to extract the .7z file directly to your chosen dedicated drive. After extraction, the folder will be approximately 6.14 GB.
For other downloading options, visit the official ComfyUI website at https://www.comfy.org/
Launching ComfyUI and Understanding the Interface
After extraction, all necessary files are located within the ComfyUI_windows_portable folder. To start ComfyUI, you should run the run_nvidia_gpu.bat file. ComfyUI runs in two parts: a server-side component displayed in a command window, and the user interface in a web browser. The command window is useful for monitoring processes and identifying problems, while the web browser UI is where you create and customize workflows.
Troubleshooting: Model Not Found Error
Upon first launching, if you try to run a workflow, you will likely encounter a "prompt execution failed" error because a model is not yet installed. ComfyUI errors can be difficult to understand, but this particular error indicates a missing model.
Downloading and Installing Your First AI Model
There are multiple ways to download missing models: you can copy the model name from the error and search for it online (often leading to Hugging Face), or use the "browse templates" feature within the ComfyUI UI and click the download button when prompted. Models are typically large, with the first one (Stable Diffusion version 1.5) being nearly 2 GB, and some models being even larger.
Once downloaded, you should cut & paste the model file into the ComfyUI/models/checkpoints folder within your ComfyUI installation directory. Pinning the checkpoints folder to Quick Access in Windows is recommended for easier future navigation. After pasting the model, you may need to refresh the ComfyUI user interface (e.g., by clicking "edit" then "refresh" if available) to make the new model visible in the options.
Generating Your First Image
With the model installed and the UI refreshed, you can then press "run" to execute the workflow. A green border will appear around different nodes in the workflow, indicating the current stage of the process. This will lead to the successful generation of your first image using ComfyUI.
Troubleshooting
Error, OSError: [Errno 10048] error while attempting to bind on address ('127.0.0.1', 8188): [winerror 10048] only one usage of each socket address (protocol/network address/port) is normally permitted
The server component is likely already running in another console window on your computer.
You can close down that other console window and try to start a new session again, or open your browser at the address http://127.0.0.1:8188/ to connect to the session that is already running.