# Guides: AI recorders, local AI and mini PCs

These guides cover recording conversations and running AI on your own computer. Start with the task you want to complete, then choose the hardware or software that supports it. Every guide names what its judgement rests on: hands-on use, manufacturer figures or published tests. The evidence policy is the same as the one on our [methodology](/methodology/) page.

## What do the AI recorder guides cover?

The AI recorder guides cover recording calls and online meetings, how free transcription allowances work and what to check before sharing a recording. They keep hardware recording separate from the cloud services that turn speech into searchable notes.

Start with [recording-consent laws](/guides/recording-consent-laws-by-state/) if you record calls, because consent rules differ by state. For subscription questions, read [Does Plaud need a subscription?](/guides/does-plaud-need-a-subscription/). When you are ready to compare devices, the [best ai voice recorder](/best/best-ai-voice-recorders/) roundup and the [ai voice recorder](/categories/ai-voice-recorders/) category list every model we cover, from the $149 Notta Memo to the $189 Plaud Note Pro.

- [Does Plaud need a subscription? Plans and free minutes explained](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/does-plaud-need-a-subscription/) — explainer, 7 min
- [Does Pocket AI need a subscription? What is free and what is not](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/does-pocket-ai-need-a-subscription/) — explainer, 8 min
- [How to record a Microsoft Teams meeting](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/how-to-record-a-teams-meeting/) — how-to, 10 min
- [How to record a phone call on iPhone (built-in, apps and AI recorders)](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/how-to-record-a-phone-call-on-iphone/) — how-to, 8 min
- [How to record a Zoom meeting (and get an AI transcript)](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/how-to-record-a-zoom-meeting/) — how-to, 9 min
- [How to use the Plaud Note Pro: setup to first summary](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/how-to-use-plaud-note-pro/) — how-to, 8 min
- [Is Plaud HIPAA compliant?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/is-plaud-hipaa-compliant/) — explainer, 6 min
- [One-party vs two-party consent states: can you use an AI voice recorder?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/recording-consent-laws-by-state/) — explainer, 8 min

## What do the local AI guides cover?

The local AI guides cover installing a model runner, choosing a model that fits your memory and checking which processor is actually doing the work. They focus on Ollama, Lemonade and llama.cpp, with particular attention to AMD integrated graphics and Ryzen AI hardware.

Running a model locally means the software matters as much as the chip. A guide in this section tells you which backend supports your hardware before you buy anything. Device-level results, such as the GMKtec EVO-X2 with Ryzen AI Max+ 395 at $3,649.99, are in the mini PC reviews the guides link to.

- [How much RAM do you need to run a local LLM?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/how-much-ram-for-local-llm/) — explainer, 5 min
- [How to install Ollama on Windows 11 (Ryzen AI mini PC)](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/install-ollama-windows-11-ryzen-ai-mini-pc/) — how-to, 8 min
- [llama.cpp with Vulkan on a Radeon iGPU](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/llama-cpp-vulkan-radeon-igpu/) — how-to, 7 min
- [Mini PC vs Mac mini for AI](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/mini-pc-vs-mac-mini-for-ai/) — explainer, 5 min
- [NVIDIA DGX Spark vs Strix Halo mini PCs](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/dgx-spark-vs-strix-halo/) — explainer, 6 min
- [Run local LLMs on the Ryzen AI NPU with Lemonade Server](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/run-llms-on-ryzen-ai-npu-lemonade-server/) — how-to, 8 min
- [What is unified memory, and why does it matter for local AI?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/what-is-unified-memory/) — explainer, 6 min

## What do the AI PC hardware guides cover?

The AI PC hardware guides cover NPUs, unified memory, integrated graphics and external GPU connections. The goal is to translate specifications into decisions: how large a model you can load, whether a particular backend supports your chip and what expansion would cost.

The guides use manufacturer specifications and hands-on use, not benchmark scores, unless a page says otherwise. Prices in this section were checked on manufacturer and store pages on 2 October 2026; re-check before you buy.

- [NPU vs GPU: which runs AI better on a mini PC?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/npu-vs-gpu/) — explainer, 8 min
- [Radeon 890M vs Radeon 8060S: what the iGPU means for AI and gaming](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/radeon-890m-vs-radeon-8060s/) — explainer, 5 min
- [Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 vs HX 370: what changed?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/ryzen-ai-9-hx-470-vs-hx-370/) — explainer, 6 min
- [Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) explained](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/ryzen-ai-max-395-strix-halo-explained/) — explainer, 6 min
- [What is an AI PC? (and is a Copilot+ PC different?)](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/what-is-an-ai-pc/) — explainer, 7 min
- [What is an NPU, and does your PC need one?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/what-is-an-npu/) — explainer, 6 min
- [What is OCuLink? OCuLink vs USB4 for an external GPU](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/what-is-oculink/) — explainer, 6 min

## What do the AI note taker guides cover?

The AI note taker guides cover recording and transcribing meetings, calls, interviews and lectures with software: setting a tool up, keeping recordings private, and checking a transcript or summary before you rely on it.

- [Built-in meeting summaries vs cloud note takers vs local transcription](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/built-in-vs-cloud-vs-local-meeting-transcription/) — explainer, 10 min
- [Can you use an AI note taker if your company blocks meeting bots?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/ai-note-taker-when-meeting-bots-are-blocked/) — explainer, 9 min
- [Can you use MCP to export meeting transcripts in batches?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/export-meeting-transcripts-with-mcp/) — how-to, 9 min
- [Free transcription apps for students: what to compare](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/free-transcription-apps-for-students/) — explainer, 10 min
- [How a product team can capture meetings, interviews and recordings in one workflow](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/one-workflow-for-meetings-interviews-and-recordings/) — how-to, 9 min
- [How to record and transcribe sales calls on a mobile phone](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/record-and-transcribe-sales-calls-on-mobile/) — how-to, 8 min
- [How to record client meetings: online, phone and in person](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/how-agencies-record-client-meetings/) — how-to, 11 min
- [How to stop AI note takers joining your meetings (Teams, Zoom and Google Meet)](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/stop-ai-note-takers-joining-meetings/) — how-to, 8 min
- [How to transcribe a sensitive meeting without a bot joining](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/transcribe-sensitive-meetings-without-a-bot/) — how-to, 7 min
- [How to transcribe and summarize a YouTube video](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/transcribe-and-summarize-youtube-video/) — how-to, 7 min
- [How to transcribe confidential client meetings without uploading the audio](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/transcribe-confidential-meetings-without-uploading/) — how-to, 9 min
- [How to turn a sales call transcript into follow-up without copying it between tools](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/sales-call-transcript-to-follow-up/) — how-to, 9 min
- [How to verify decisions in an AI meeting summary](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/verify-decisions-in-ai-meeting-summaries/) — how-to, 9 min
- [How to verify quotes in an AI transcript](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/verify-quotes-in-ai-transcripts/) — how-to, 10 min
- [Is a built-in meeting summary enough for project teams?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/built-in-meeting-summary-vs-dedicated-tool/) — explainer, 11 min
- [Meeting bot or bot-free note taker for sales calls?](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/meeting-bot-vs-bot-free-note-taker-for-sales/) — explainer, 10 min
- [Meeting bot or bot-free recorder: what consultants should use](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/meeting-bot-vs-bot-free-recorder-for-consultants/) — explainer, 8 min
- [Meeting bot or bot-free recorder: what recruiters should use for interviews](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/meeting-bot-vs-bot-free-recorder-for-recruiters/) — explainer, 8 min
- [Phone, laptop or recorder: the best way to record lectures](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/phone-vs-app-vs-recorder-for-lectures/) — explainer, 12 min
- [The real team cost of AI meeting tools](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/ai-meeting-tool-team-cost/) — explainer, 12 min
- [Transcription software for regulated teams: what to check before you choose](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/transcription-software-for-regulated-teams/) — explainer, 11 min
- [Upload and recording limits for long interviews and short clips](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/transcription-upload-and-recording-limits/) — explainer, 10 min
- [What agencies should check before relying on an AI note taker](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/ai-note-taker-checklist-for-agencies/) — explainer, 11 min
- [What consultants should compare in an AI meeting tool](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/choosing-an-ai-meeting-tool-for-consultants/) — explainer, 10 min
- [What good sales call notes capture (besides the transcript)](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/what-good-sales-call-notes-capture/) — explainer, 9 min
- [What IT should check in a meeting recorder for Zoom, Teams and Google Meet](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/meeting-recorder-it-checklist/) — explainer, 10 min
- [What to compare in AI interview note-taking tools](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/choosing-ai-interview-note-taking-tools/) — explainer, 11 min
- [Why speaker identification matters in interview transcripts](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/why-speaker-identification-matters/) — explainer, 9 min
- [Why transcription tools struggle with overlapping speakers](https://testbenchlab.com/guides/why-transcription-struggles-with-overlapping-speech/) — explainer, 10 min