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.
For those of you who remember the X99 and the performance of the Haswell-E you will have undoubtedly heard of the Gigabyte Designare EX. If not, then shame on you because that motherboard is one of those fabled genesis boards that changes things.
Phanteks had a number of good products on display that all handle different aspects of the PC industry.
Unlike some companies EVGA is rather humble in what they show. Like most companies the majority of their product line is already available however, there were a couple of new items like their gaming keyboard experiment and a new version of their gaming laptop, now with more GPU.
One thing about Zotac, they aren’t afraid to try something new and given their track record for creating some pretty amazing small form factor computers it is only fair they continue.
On display they had a number of RGB LED enabled coolers and some pre-release multi port reservoirs but by far the most interesting item was the Alphacool Eiskoffer. This is a complete PETG bending kit with everything you need to bend PETG and Acrylic tubes.
I’m here to tell you that Creative is doing some amazing things with sound and whatever I write is not going to do any of it justice. Be sure to check out the Hardware Asylum Podcast this month to know more.
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