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Custom AI notes from the shop floor.

Practical writing on AI hardware, open-weight models, evaluation and the systems we build, from the engineers who build them.

Fig. 01 · Adjusting a lathe in a home machine shop1994
Latest

From the bench.

Four GPU server chassis of increasing size arranged on a server-room floor
October 22, 2026

Private AI Infrastructure for 10, 25, 50 and 100 Concurrent Users

What on-prem AI hardware you need for 10, 25, 50 and 100 concurrent users, with GPU, VRAM, memory, networking and power ranges for each tier.

On-prem GPU server rack with three stacked service modules and neatly routed cabling.
October 21, 2026

Building an Enterprise AI Stack with vLLM, Ollama and Open WebUI

A technical guide to combining vLLM, Ollama and Open WebUI into one on-prem LLM stack, with GPU, networking and governance trade-offs for enterprise buyers.

How Much GPU Memory Do You Need to Run a 70B Parameter LLM
October 20, 2026

How Much GPU Memory Do You Need to Run a 70B Parameter LLM

Work out how much GPU memory a 70B parameter LLM needs on-prem, with math for weights, KV cache, quantization, concurrency and headroom.

A small desktop workstation beside a tall rack-mounted server in an office
October 20, 2026

Where Mac Studios Fit and Fail for On-Prem LLMs

A technical look at using Apple Mac Studio for on-prem LLM work, including unified memory wins, throughput ceilings, and when a GPU server is the better buy.

Three differently shaped sculptures on illuminated panels in a server room, suggesting dense and sparse model architectures.
October 19, 2026

How to Deploy Llama, Qwen and Mistral Models on Private AI Hardware

A practical walkthrough for deploying Llama, Qwen and Mistral open-weight models on your own AI hardware, from weights and quantization to serving.

Rack-mount GPU servers with visible accelerator cards in a cool-lit server room
October 17, 2026

Best GPU Server Configurations for Running Open-Weight LLMs Locally

Compare GPU server configurations for running open-weight LLMs locally, from single-GPU workstations to 8-GPU nodes, with VRAM, interconnect and power guidance.

A bank vault door opening onto a row of GPU servers inside the vault.
October 16, 2026

Custom AI Hardware for Financial Services Data Residency and Access

How banks, asset managers and insurers use custom AI hardware to keep LLM workloads under their own data residency, encryption and access control rules.

An open GPU server chassis on a workbench, ready for build
October 15, 2026

How to Build a Private AI Server for Your Business

A step by step guide to building an on-prem AI server for your business, from workload sizing and GPU choice to networking, storage, software and rollout.

Three keys on a ring hanging in front of a brass office door, representing three identity protocols at the entrance to a system.
October 14, 2026

Implement Enterprise SSO Using SAML, OAuth and OpenID Connect

How to wire SAML, OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect into an on-prem LLM stack so logins, agents and APIs honor your existing identity provider.

A liquid-cooled GPU server rack in a data hall, with coolant pipes feeding the top of the cabinet.
October 13, 2026

On-Prem AI Hardware Statistics Worth Knowing in 2026

A reference of on-prem AI hardware statistics covering GPU memory, power draw, cooling, model sizes and adoption trends shaping buying decisions in 2026.

Row of server chassis in different form factors in a clean data center aisle.
October 12, 2026

GPU Alternatives to NVIDIA for On-Prem LLMs

A buyer's tour of AMD, Intel, AWS, Google, Groq, Cerebras, SambaNova, Tenstorrent and Huawei silicon for running open-weight LLMs on your own hardware.

A row of desks with workers connected by varying threads of light to a central server rack, suggesting concurrent GPU load.
October 11, 2026

Sizing GPU Capacity by Team Size and Active Use

How to size on-prem GPU volume by seat count, concurrency and active use patterns, so your AI hardware matches real team load without overbuying.

What Breaks in the First 90 Days of On-Premises AI
October 9, 2026

What Breaks in the First 90 Days of On-Premises AI

The real failure modes in the first 90 days of on-premises AI, what each one costs to fix, and the scoping decisions that stop them happening.

A partially populated GPU server in a quiet on-premises data room
October 8, 2026

How Many GPUs Will I Need for Custom AI

Work out how many GPUs your custom AI workload actually needs, from model size and concurrency to VRAM headroom, without over-buying hardware you will not use.

A GPU server on a loading dock between a stack of lease paperwork and a stamped purchase order.
October 7, 2026

Buy or Lease GPU Servers for On-Premises AI

How to decide between buying, leasing or financing GPU servers for on-premises AI, with the tax, refresh cycle and utilization trade-offs that move the number.

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Tell us the models you want to run, how many people will use them and where the hardware should live. An engineer replies with a first configuration and the questions that decide the quote.

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