Introducing AI-Now Black Label Emulator PCs

John C.H. Tsai

• 3 min read

Welcome to AI-Now Black Label

AI-Now Black Label is my personal hardware lab turned into a small, focused product line.

Instead of chasing the latest RTX 4090 and burning cash, Black Label machines are carefully rebuilt, tuned, and verified systems designed for:

  • Retro & modern game emulation
  • Local AI experiments (small to mid-size models)
  • Everyday Linux workstation use
  • Future migration to custom AI-Now / Yocto-based systems

All systems are hand-built in Walnut, California, and every unit is burn-in tested before it leaves the lab.

What is a “Black Label” PC?

“Black Label” means:

  • Refurbished + upgraded
    We start from quality used / surplus parts (PSU from KWI, cases such as Apevia, GPUs from trusted sources) and add new SSDs, fresh fans, and cleaned wiring.
  • Transparent, no nonsense
    You get a clear BOM, test report, and burn-in log. No RGB circus unless it helps cooling or customer requests it.
  • Tuned for emulation & AI
    Priority is: stable power, enough VRAM, quiet cooling, and solid Linux support. This is not a “look pretty on Instagram” gaming build — it’s a working machine.

Target Use Case: Emulator Black Label

The first official Black Label configuration focuses on emulation + light AI.

Typical spec (example build):

  • CPU: 6-core / 12-thread Intel or AMD desktop CPU
  • RAM: 32 GB DDR4
  • GPU: NVIDIA GTX 16-series (4–6 GB VRAM)
  • Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD (OS + games/emulators)
  • PSU: 500–650 W 80+ unit from KWI / Kingwin line, fully tested
  • Case: Mid-tower with decent airflow (often Apevia with ARGB fans)
  • OS: Linux (desktop-oriented distro; future support for AI-Now OS / Yocto image)

This rig is designed to comfortably run:

  • Retro consoles (NES → PS2, GameCube/Wii, etc.)
  • Many Switch / PS3 titles depending on configuration
  • Emulation frontends and launchers on Linux
  • Local LLMs in the 7B–14B range for coding, chat or DevOps helpers

Why Linux by Default?

AI-Now is built on the belief that non-Windows is the future for serious builders.

Your Black Label PC will be shipped with:

  • A clean Linux desktop environment
  • Pre-installed emulators (where licensing permits)
  • Tools for AI experiments (Docker, Python, basic LLM tooling)
  • Optional: a “lab mode” account with monitoring tools and test scripts

Later, you will be able to re-flash into AI-Now OS, a future image built on Yocto and tuned for local LLM + emulation workloads.

Testing & Burn-In

Every unit goes through:

  1. Initial hardware check – RAM test, SMART check, GPU sanity test
  2. Burn-in script – Python-driven stress tests for CPU, GPU, and storage
  3. Temperature & noise observation – making sure fans and airflow behave
  4. Functional test – booting into Linux, checking emulators and basic AI tools

You will receive a short test report with each machine, so you know this is not a random eBay parts build.

Pricing & Availability

Intro pricing (subject to change as the market moves):

  • Emulator Black Label – from USD $799
    (final price depends on GPU, SSD size, and special requests)

Each system is built to order. In the early stage, capacity is limited — think a few units per week, not a factory.

How to Order

For now, ordering is handled manually so I can keep quality high.

If you’re interested:

  1. Send an email to orders@ai-now.store (or use the Contact page).
  2. Tell me:
    • What you want to do (emulators, AI, both)
    • Your approximate budget
    • Whether you prefer a quieter system or maximum performance
  3. I’ll reply with:
    • A proposed spec
    • Estimated price and lead time
    • Any notes about used / refurbished components in your build

Once we both agree, I start the build, run burn-in tests, and ship.

What Comes Next

AI-Now Black Label is only phase one.

Coming later:

  • AI-Now Edge Servers – small form factor machines for local LLMs and IoT control
  • Industrial ESP32-based controllers – designed as ODM for partners, managed by AI-Now platforms
  • A unified monitoring and test framework – so fleets of Black Label / Edge / industrial devices can be diagnosed and tuned with AI help.

For now, this first Emulator Black Label line is the seed — the proof that high-quality, honest, Linux-first machines can be built from the grey zone between “brand new” and “e-waste”.

If that resonates with you, you’re already part of the AI-Now story.