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Hardware

What Hal runs local AI on.

Only hardware Hal has actually tested is marked “Tested”. Everything else is clearly labelled. No specs or benchmarks are quoted here until they are measured.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, Hi, I’m Hal may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what gets recommended. Full disclosure

MachineChip / GPUStatusGood forHal’s notes
BOSGAME M5 AI Mini Desktop
96 GB / 128 GB configurations		AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) · Radeon 8060STested by HalYuE2 on AMD, local LLMsAdd measured resultsCheck price ↗
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GMKtec EVO-X2
The other Strix Halo box		Ryzen AI Max+ 395 · Radeon 8060SNot testedSame chip as the M5, friendlier entry priceShould match the M5 chip, but unverifiedCheck price ↗
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AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Desktop graphics card, 24 GB		RDNA 3 · 24 GB GDDR6Not testedROCm local AI in a desktop buildReports welcome on GitHubCheck price ↗
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Prices change often, so none are shown here. Check the retailer. Last reviewed 2026-10-18.

The studio & desk kit

The gear around the machine — what the songs get recorded, mixed and typed on in Hal’s studio. All links are Amazon.ca affiliate links.

Samsung 990 PRO 2TB SSD

The M5 has a second M.2 slot, and local AI models eat storage. This is the drive that fills it.

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LEWITT LCT 440 PURE microphone

The studio mic in Hal’s setup — the genuine article, from a real store.

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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen)

The audio interface that mic plugs into. The home-studio standard for a reason.

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Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

Studio headphones for hearing what YuE2 actually made — flat, honest, everywhere.

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Akai MPK Mini MK3

Keys and MPC pads in one small controller — the music-maker’s sidekick to YuE2.

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Keychron K8 mechanical keyboard

The creator-desk keyboard: wireless, hot-swappable, Windows-friendly.

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Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80 ohm)

The other studio headphone standard — softer grip than the M50x, same honesty.

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Co-Intelligence — Ethan Mollick

The plain-English book on living and working with AI. The one to hand a curious beginner.

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How Hal picks hardware

  • “Tested” means Hal ran the software on that exact machine.
  • Benchmarks are published only when measured, with the settings used.
  • No paid placements. Brands cannot buy a “Tested” label.

Affiliate disclosure

Links marked “affiliate” may earn Hi, I’m Hal a commission when you buy, at no extra cost to you. Commissions help fund free ports like YuE2 on AMD. Recommendations are based on testing, not on commission rates. Affiliate links use rel="sponsored".