What fun is having an AI workstation if you don’t dive deeply into what makes AI work. Inference is maybe 98% of AI tasks from image generation to machine learning and even basic chats and summaries. We rely on model makers to do the heavy lifting and provide models that we can use, either in the cloud or locally.
In my previous articles I discussed the balance between model quality and hardware requirements for running AI models locally. For this article I wanted to discuss software and how my AI Workstation build was designed to work with the software packages and how I can switch between them to complete certain tasks.
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.
It would seem that LCD is the new ARGB and Thermaltake is jumping in with booth feet to create the Minecube AIO. This quad screen LCD is used to decorate an otherwise simple AIO with LCDs that can be daisy chained together or operated independently.
at Computex 2025 ASUS announced the ROG Crosshair X870 Extreme following in a long tradition of offering the highest end motherboards to the best platforms which now include a full LCD screen.
Several memory makers were showing off multi module high-capacity builds and TeamGroup was one of the few to offer both ultra-fast modules and kits to support ultra-high capacities. This is one of the biggest challenges with modern system builds and TeamGroup seems to have figured it out.
During Computex 2025 MSI was showing a new MPower motherboard based on the B850 chipset and built with a Micro ATX form factor. The board features a single PCI Express Gen5 video card slot and two M.2 drive locations. To aid in memory overlocking the board is limited to only two memory slots and features a monster of a VRM to ensure accurate power delivery and hopefully break some records.
Gigabyte has been expanding their AI hardware offerings by launching a second generation AI Top with upgraded software for LLM training and the AI Box which is an external RTX 5090 that you can do RTX 5090 things with.
InWin has a long standing tradition to create a super unique unicorn of a chassis design and launch it during the show. Past versions included the popular H-Frame built from a series of tubes to create a trellis style frame around your computer components. S-Frame exposed how InWin was a master at converting a single sheet of aluminum into an artful and unique computer case. This year for the InWin 40th Anniversary they were showing ChronoMancy.
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