VelsTechTechnology explained for everyone – plain-language guides, free tools and real experiments, from choosing a first PC to understanding AI.https://velstech.net/2026-09-05T00:00:00ZVelsTechGated Delta Net on AMD: why ROCm stumbles on hybrid-attention LLMshttps://velstech.net/gated-delta-net-rocm-hybrid.html2026-09-05T00:00:00Z2026-09-05T00:00:00ZA llama.cpp warning on my RX 6800M exposed the real problem with the new wave of hybrid-attention models (Qwen3.8, Kimi Linear, Nemotron-H): no fused GDN kernel on ROCm – and what that costs in tokens per second.Qwen3.8 27B GSQ-RCO on RX 6800M: IQ2_XS vs IQ3_S – VelsTech Labhttps://velstech.net/qwen38-27b-gsq-rco-rx6800m.html2026-09-04T00:00:00Z2026-09-05T00:00:00ZTested Qwen3.8 27B GSQ-RCO on a 12 GB RX 6800M – IQ2_XS decodes 20.8 tok/s with 52K context at 90% VRAM, while IQ3_S wins prompt eval but gets stuck at 4K context because --fit aborted on a manual -ngl.GPT-6 Astra: OpenAI's new frontier model, explainedhttps://velstech.net/gpt-6-astra.html2026-09-04T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZOpenAI launched GPT-6 Astra today. The benchmark numbers that matter, the honest caveats, the pricing – and what it means if you run local AI on AMD hardware.Tiel-Coder 35B-A3B on RX 6800M: MTP vs non-MTP at 262K – VelsTech Labhttps://velstech.net/tiel-coder-35b-mtp-rx6800m.html2026-09-01T00:00:00Z2026-09-01T00:00:00ZTested Tiel-Coder-35B-A3B Q4_K_XL on RX 6800M – MTP speculative decoding at 29.09 tok/s vs 25.39 tok/s without MTP, at 262K q8 KV, 28-32 CPU experts, ROCm 10.0.ROCm & Vulkan on AMD: running local AI on Radeonhttps://velstech.net/rocm-vulkan-amd-guide.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZROCm vs Vulkan on AMD GPUs for local AI – what each backend is, which to choose, how to install, and real benchmark results on the RX 6800M.Running LLMs on Apple Silicon: a practical guidehttps://velstech.net/apple-silicon-llm-guide.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZHow M1/M2/M3/M4 Macs run local AI, what unified memory means, which models fit your Mac, and how to get started with Metal.RAG from scratch: ask questions about your own documentshttps://velstech.net/rag-from-scratch.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZWhat RAG is, how it works, and a working local example – build a private question-answering system over your own files with an LLM and embeddings.Quantization deep dive: how Q4, Q5, and Q8 change quality and speedhttps://velstech.net/quantization-deep-dive.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZHow quantization levels (Q4, Q5, Q8) affect LLM quality, size, and speed – with real numbers and practical advice for local AI.KV cache explained: why context windows eat memoryhttps://velstech.net/kv-cache-explained.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZWhy longer context windows eat memory, how the key-value cache grows with tokens, and how to calculate it for your own GPU.Flash Attention & speculative decoding: making LLMs fasterhttps://velstech.net/flash-attention-guide.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZHow Flash Attention and speculative decoding make LLMs faster and use less memory – and why they matter for running models locally.GGUF explained: the format that makes local LLMs workhttps://velstech.net/gguf-explained.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZGGUF is the file format that makes running LLMs locally possible. Here's what it is, what quantization levels mean, and how to pick the right one for your hardware.llama.cpp guide: run GGUF models locallyhttps://velstech.net/llama-cpp-guide.html2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-08-30T00:00:00ZComplete guide to llama.cpp – install it, run GGUF models, enable GPU acceleration, and read the benchmark output. The engine behind Ollama, explained.How to get started with local AI (2026)https://velstech.net/how-to-get-started-local-ai.html2026-08-29T00:00:00Z2026-08-29T00:00:00ZHow to get started with local AI in 2026 – pick the right hardware, install Ollama, download a model, and run it on your own machine. No cloud, no subscription, no jargon.DGX Spark vs RTX Spark vs Ryzen AI Halo: the 2026 local-AI desktop showdownhttps://velstech.net/dgx-spark-rtx-spark-ryzen-ai-halo.html2026-08-29T00:00:00Z2026-08-29T00:00:00ZNVIDIA DGX Spark, NVIDIA RTX Spark, and AMD Ryzen AI Max (Strix Halo) – three ways to run local AI in 2026. Specs, what each is for, and which one you should buy.Best GPU for running LLMs locally (2026)https://velstech.net/best-gpu-for-local-llm.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZThe best GPUs for running LLMs locally in 2026 – RTX vs Radeon, how much VRAM you really need, and what actually matters for llama.cpp and Ollama.How much VRAM do you need for 7B, 14B, and 32B models?https://velstech.net/how-much-vram-for-llm.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZVRAM needed for 7B, 14B, and 32B LLMs – weights, quantization, KV cache, and context length, with a quick-reference table.Best GPU for AI under ₹50,000 (India, 2026)https://velstech.net/best-gpu-ai-under-50000.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZThe best GPUs for AI under ₹50,000 in India – which cards actually fit the budget and can run local LLMs, with VRAM per rupee compared.Xiaomi AI Cube: the mini desktop built for local AIhttps://velstech.net/xiaomi-ai-cube.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZXiaomi's AI Cube is a small desktop with a big NPU – made to run LLMs locally. Here's what it is, what's inside, and whether it's worth buying.Qwen3.8 Flash Next: Alibaba's new fast reasoning modelhttps://velstech.net/qwen3-8-flash-next.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZQwen3.8 Flash Next is Alibaba's newest reasoning model – faster, cheaper, and smarter. Here's what changed, how it performs, and how it compares.GLM 5.3: what's new in Zhipu AI's latest modelhttps://velstech.net/glm-5-3.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZGLM 5.3 is Zhipu AI's newest update – stronger reasoning, better coding, and competitive pricing. Here's what's new and who it's for.Qwen 27B Ridge 3.7bpw on RX 6800M: ROCm vs Vulkan at 16K – VelsTech Labhttps://velstech.net/qwen-27b-ridge-rocm-vs-vulkan.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZTested Qwen 27B Ridge at 3.7bpw on a 12GB RX 6800M – ROCm 18.1 tok/s vs Vulkan 21.8 tok/s decode at 16K, with prompt-eval tradeoffs and VRAM fit.Ornith 35B MoE at 262K on RX 6800M: ROCm vs Vulkan – VelsTech Labhttps://velstech.net/ornith-35b-moe-262k-rocm-vs-vulkan.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZTested Ornith 1.5 35B-A3B MoE at 262K on RX 6800M – ROCm 25.6 tok/s vs Vulkan 19.6 tok/s decode, 83 tok/s prompt, with 28 CPU experts and q8 KV.MoE vs Dense on RX 6800M: 3B Active vs 27B at 16K/262K – VelsTech Labhttps://velstech.net/moe-vs-dense-rx6800m-16k-vs-262k.html2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-08-27T00:00:00ZSame RX 6800M 12GB – Ornith 35B MoE (3B active, 262K) vs Qwen 27B dense (27B, 16K) at q8 KV, ROCm vs Vulkan head-to-head.Omarchy: the beautiful, opinionated Linux distro everyone's talking abouthttps://velstech.net/omarchy.html2026-08-26T00:00:00Z2026-08-26T00:00:00ZThe Arch-based distro made by DHH of Basecamp – beautiful, opinionated, terminal-first. Here's what it is, why it's trending, and whether you should try it.What is machine learning, really?https://velstech.net/what-is-machine-learning.html2026-08-25T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZA plain-language look at what learning from data actually means – training, models, and prediction – without the jargon.Installing ROCm on Ubuntu for Radeon GPUshttps://velstech.net/install-rocm-ubuntu.html2026-08-25T00:00:00Z2026-08-25T00:00:00ZStep-by-step guide to installing ROCm 7.14 on Ubuntu 26.04 for AMD Radeon (RDNA2/RDNA3) GPUs – from apt setup to rocminfo verification.Installing PyTorch with ROCm on Radeon GPUshttps://velstech.net/install-pytorch-rocm-ubuntu.html2026-08-25T00:00:00Z2026-08-25T00:00:00ZStep-by-step guide to installing PyTorch with ROCm support on Ubuntu for AMD Radeon (RDNA2) GPUs – venv setup, pip install, and GPU verification.Apple's new Mac desktops: Mac Studio M5 Max/Ultra and Mac mini M6/M5 Prohttps://velstech.net/new-mac-desktops.html2026-08-25T00:00:00Z2026-08-25T00:00:00ZApple's compact desktops land on 22 September – the Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra, plus the Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro. Here's what changed and which one is yours.What is a Large Language Model, really?https://velstech.net/what-is-an-llm.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZA plain-language look at how LLMs work under the hood – tokens, context, and probabilities – without the jargon.How to write better promptshttps://velstech.net/better-prompts.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZPractical prompting patterns that get better answers from ChatGPT, Claude, and similar tools.Local vs cloud AI: which should you choose?https://velstech.net/local-vs-cloud-ai.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZPrivacy, cost, and capability – a comparison of running models on your own hardware versus cloud APIs.How to choose parts for your first PC buildhttps://velstech.net/first-pc-build.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZA beginner-friendly guide to picking a CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage that actually match how you'll use the PC.CPU vs GPU: what does each one do?https://velstech.net/cpu-vs-gpu.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZBreaking down the two most important components in your machine and when each one matters most.SSD vs HDD: the upgrade that changes everythinghttps://velstech.net/ssd-vs-hdd.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZWhy an SSD makes an old computer feel new again, and how to pick the right drive and size.Linux for beginners: getting startedhttps://velstech.net/linux-beginners.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZPicking a distro, installing it, and surviving your first week without breaking anything.Essential terminal commands everyone should knowhttps://velstech.net/terminal-commands.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZNavigation, files, permissions, and package management – the commands you'll use every single day.Windows vs Linux: when to use whichhttps://velstech.net/windows-vs-linux.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZAn honest comparison of the two for daily use, gaming, and development work.How does the internet actually work?https://velstech.net/how-internet-works.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZA straightforward walkthrough of IP addresses, DNS, and routing – the basics that make the internet tick.Setting up a domain and pointing it anywherehttps://velstech.net/setup-domain.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZHow to buy a domain, configure DNS records, and connect it to GitHub Pages, a VPS, or a home server.Self-hosting 101: what can you run at home?https://velstech.net/self-hosting-101.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZFrom a media server to a personal cloud – services you can run on a Raspberry Pi or old laptop.The only 5 security habits you really needhttps://velstech.net/security-habits.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZPasswords, two-factor authentication, updates, backups, and skepticism – the checklist that covers most risks.Password managers: why you need onehttps://velstech.net/password-managers.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZHow a password manager works, what to look for, and why reusing passwords is the biggest risk most people have.Spotting phishing attemptshttps://velstech.net/spotting-phishing.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZReal examples of fake emails and messages, and the red flags that give them away before you click.How to start learning to code in 2026https://velstech.net/learn-to-code.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-09-04T00:00:00ZA realistic roadmap – pick a language, build tiny projects, and avoid the tutorial trap.HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: what does each one do?https://velstech.net/html-css-js.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZThe three building blocks of every website, explained with a simple analogy.Version control with Git for complete beginnershttps://velstech.net/git-beginners.html2026-08-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-24T00:00:00ZWhy every developer uses Git, and the handful of commands that cover 90% of daily work.