Building an AI workstation is rarely about buying the single fastest component on the market; it is about finding the specific "sweet spot" that fits your workload. Whether you are prioritizing VRAM capacity, PCIe lane availability, or thermal management, the right build depends entirely on how you plan to use your machine. The goal isn't just raw power, but the ability to run the tools you need efficiently.
This is the first article in a new AI Hardware series talking about the requirements for running AI Models and why paying attention to these things can help you build a better AI Workstation. If anything learning why a DGX Spark or Mac Mini work but, can also be really slow.
2026 marks the 30th year for Lexar and they started CES off with an announcement that they were going to be the global storage partner for the Argentina National Football (Soccer) Team and launched a number of AI focused storage devices.
According to CES 2026 material there were over 4100 exhibitors registered to attend along with several unknowns looking to take advantage of CES by hosting their own events in area hotels. It is not practical to see everything but with a good pair of shoes and a crisp Pepsi I attempted to do the impossible.
Pro Gamers Group was available at CES showing of some of the latest products available in their catalog including a number of ultra light mice, a racing chair and some rather impressive GPU waterblocks.
Asustor was showing off a new AS40 series NAS that is the world’s first consumer level NAS featuring a 10Gbps Ethernet connection along with a number of updates to their ADM firmware.
EG (Epic Gear) Infinity was showing off their new modular and reusable gaming arena concept during Computex 2018 by building their entire booth from their modular panels. These panels are constructed from a molded plastic and used to decorate a space and create depth.
The MEG is designed for next generation AMD Threadripper processors and to help handle the excessive power demands it features an 18 phase VRM that takes up the entire top section of the motherboard.
ASUS has always done extremely well with their marketing messages and the TUF Gaming Alliance is one of the most powerful I have seen in a long time. Not only is it attacking the mainstream market directly but is bringing vendors along with supporting products that would have otherwise been passed over.
Some of the other booth highlights include new copper core radiators. These feature corrosion neutral copper with stainless steel frames to ensure strength and cost efficiency while also offering flexibility in water loop configurations.
SilverStone is well known for their chassis designs and had a pretty amazing vertical chassis on display with tempered glass side panels that was very reminiscent of the Fortress FT03.
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