Guides · 51 articles

Guides

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 page.

Diagram of a chip with CPU, GPU and NPU blocks, the NPU handling AI tasks

EXPLAINER · 6 MINAI PC HARDWARE What is an NPU, and does your PC need one? An explainer on NPUs: what the processor does, what TOPS ratings mean, which software uses it, and whether it helps run local LLMs on Ryzen AI mini PCs.

OCuLink cable next to the ports of a mini PC

EXPLAINER · 6 MINAI PC HARDWARE What is OCuLink? OCuLink vs USB4 for an external GPU An explainer on OCuLink: what it is, how it compares with USB4 and Thunderbolt for external GPUs, which mini PCs have it, and whether an eGPU is worth it for local AI.

Diagram comparing separate CPU RAM and GPU VRAM with one shared memory pool

EXPLAINER · 6 MINLOCAL AI What is unified memory, and why does it matter for local AI? A researched explainer on unified memory: what it is, how it differs from VRAM, how much of it the GPU can use on Strix Halo, and how Mac and AMD compare.