Understanding AI box hardware helps you choose between building your own and buying pre-built.
The brain — determines how fast your AI thinks.
| Module | AI TOPS | Price | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jetson Orin Nano 8GB | 67 | $249 | 15W |
| Jetson Orin NX 16GB | 100 | $499 | 25W |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | ~2 | $80 | 12W |
Models need fast storage. A 7B model is ~4GB quantized.
| Capacity | Price | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $20 | 5-6 models + OS |
| 512GB | $30 | 10+ models + data |
| 1TB | $55 | Everything you need |
Protects hardware and provides cooling. Options:
- 3D printed (~$10)
- Aluminum with heatsink ($20-40)
- Custom injection molded (what ClawBox uses)
- USB-C PD adapter (27W recommended for Jetson)
- Quality matters — cheap adapters cause instability
| DIY Build | ClawBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ~$300-350 | $598 |
| Setup time | 2-4 hours | 5 minutes |
| Support | Community | Direct |
| Warranty | Component-level | Full device |
| Updates | Manual | Automatic |
- AI Box Hardware — Component guides
- ClawBox — Pre-built AI box ($598)