Can a $2,000 Mini PC Replace Your AI Cloud Bill? (opens in new tab)

Every AI agent demo looks impressive until the bill arrives. A cloud-routed AI agent doing real work can cost $10 to $20 a day in API credits. That's not a one-time fee. It's a meter that runs every day the agent stays useful. The alternative gaining traction in 2026: stop renting the model. Own the box it runs on instead. A mini PC, on 24/7, hosting both the language model and the agent layer that drives it. AMD's "Strix Halo" platform makes this practical. These chips pair a strong CPU with...