Racks & WattsLOCAL HARDWARE / CLEAR PICKS

Racks & Watts

Guides

Choose your next project: off-grid messages, useful printed parts, a local smart home, faster networking, reliable storage, sensible power or a better host. Each section keeps buying decisions and practical guides together.

Start with the reading cues, then follow the guide that fits the job. Hardware picks use maker sources; our own bench measurements are labelled.

Local AI inference

Choose a local-LLM machine, diagnose GPU limits and tune the workload with the right measurements.

Explore the local AI lab

Storage and backups

Choose the storage stack and the recovery layers as separate decisions.

Power and cooling

Separate runtime tuning, electricity budgets, component selection and power-loss protection.

Networking and remote access

Check the link hardware and access model against the task you need to support.

Platform and hardware buying

Check parts, platform support and recovery requirements before copying a configuration.

Reusing DDR4? Start with the recorded mixed-kit Ryzen configuration before planning the memory upgrade.

Home Assistant and smart home

Pick your radios, sensors and controls, then build automations that make your home work for you.

Start a Home Assistant project

3D printing

Turn a useful idea into a part. Choose your printer, materials and the tools around it.

Explore the 3D printing lab

Meshtastic and off-grid messaging

Choose a node, build the radio link and send your first off-grid text.

Explore the Meshtastic lab

Electronics bench & ESP32

Build the bench, prototype a circuit and turn a bare board into a useful project.

Start at the electronics bench

Homelab desk

Make room for the machines and the work: displays, shared peripherals, tidy power and cables.

Build a better homelab desk

SDR and radio reception

Choose a USB radio, match the antenna and turn received signals into something useful.

Explore the SDR lab