The ultimate AI setup for your Windows PC

If you use Windows for work or content creation, you can turn your laptop into a powerful AI workstation with just a handful of apps. Instead of jumping between random tools, this setup focuses on eight essentials that work together: faster app switching, AI that can control your computer, voice-to-text, agents that know your business, and smarter spreadsheets and docs.

1. Raycast: the command center for your AI tools

The foundation of this setup is Raycast for Windows. Think of it as a universal launcher that lets you open any app, file, or tool in a split second using your keyboard.

Once installed, you open Raycast with Alt + Space. From there, just start typing the name of any app—like ChatGPT, Claude, Chrome, or Grokbot—and hit Enter to launch it. This alone makes switching between AI tools dramatically faster.

Set up instant hotkeys for your favorite AI apps

Raycast also lets you assign custom keyboard shortcuts to specific apps, so you can open them without even typing their names.

To set this up:

1. Press Alt + Space to open Raycast.

2. Type Shortcuts and press Enter.

3. Choose an app (for example, ChatGPT or Claude).

4. Click Record hotkey and press the shortcut you want (for example, double-tap Alt for ChatGPT, or Windows + C for Claude).

From then on, your chosen shortcut will launch that AI app instantly. A common setup is:

• Alt, Alt (double-tap Alt) → Open ChatGPT desktop

• Windows + C → Open Claude

• Alt + G → Open Grokbot

Use Raycast as a powerful clipboard manager

When you work with AI, you’re constantly copying prompts, snippets, links, and outputs. Raycast has a built-in clipboard history that makes this painless.

To enable it:

1. Press Alt + Space and search for Clipboard history.

2. Right-click it and choose Configure command → Open command settings.

3. Set a hotkey, for example Alt + M.

Now, whenever you press Alt + M, you’ll see a searchable history of everything you’ve copied: text, images, files, and links. Select an item and press Enter to paste it wherever your cursor is. This is especially useful when you’re iterating on prompts or moving content between AI chats, Notion, and email.

2. ChatGPT desktop with Codex: AI that can control your PC

The next essential is the ChatGPT desktop app, mainly for one reason: Codex. Codex is the part of ChatGPT that can actually use your computer—opening apps, editing files, working inside tools like Notion, and even creating presentations or charts in native apps.

With models like GPT-6 Astra available in the desktop app, you can go far beyond just chatting. You can ask it to build simple apps, generate slide decks, or automate workflows that would normally take you hours.

Connect Codex to your favorite tools with plugins

To unlock Codex’s full power, you need to connect it to the apps you already use via plugins:

1. Open the ChatGPT desktop app.

2. Go to the Plugins tab.

3. Search for tools you use, like Notion.

4. Click Install and authorize access.

Once connected, Codex can search, edit, and create content directly in those tools. For example, with the Notion plugin installed, you can ask:

• “Create a new project brief in my ‘Key Docs’ database based on this idea.”

• “Update the summary section of my launch plan page and add a bullet-point recap.”

Use “computer use” to automate your desktop

Codex also supports a feature often called computer use, which lets it control your Windows desktop like a power assistant. You can ask things like:

• “Use computer: open Paint and make a chart showing the rise of revenue in AI startups.”

Codex will open Paint, draw the chart, and complete the task for you. Combined with Raycast shortcuts, you can open ChatGPT with a double-tap of Alt, give Codex an instruction, and let it handle the manual clicks.

3. WhisperFlow and Handy: voice-to-text for AI prompts

If you find typing long prompts annoying, adding a high-quality voice-to-text tool to your setup is a huge upgrade. Two great options are WhisperFlow and Handy.

WhisperFlow: premium voice-to-text

WhisperFlow runs on both Windows and Mac and gives you accurate transcription anywhere you can type. Once installed, you can hold a hotkey, speak your prompt, and have it typed for you in ChatGPT, Claude, Notion, email, or any text box.

By default, it uses a combination of Ctrl and the Windows key to start dictation. A typical workflow might look like:

• Place your cursor in the ChatGPT desktop app.

• Press the WhisperFlow hotkey.

• Say something like: “I need you to research WhisperFlow pricing and where to download it. Ignore previous tasks and focus only on this.”

• Release the hotkey and send.

WhisperFlow offers a free tier with around 2,000 words per week, and a Pro plan (around $15/month) for heavier use.

Handy: free, open-source alternative

If you want a free option, Handy (handy.computer) is an excellent Windows-focused, open-source voice-to-text tool. Its default shortcut is Ctrl + Space. Press it, speak your text, and it will type directly into your active window.

Handy can run very cheap or even local models, which makes it lightweight and private-friendly. Its formatting can be a bit rougher than WhisperFlow, but for many people it’s more than good enough—especially if you’re just dictating prompts into AI tools.

4. Chrome + ChatGPT extension: AI in your browser sidebar

For browsing, Google Chrome plus the ChatGPT extension is a powerful combo. The extension adds a side panel that lets you use the same ChatGPT desktop account directly inside Chrome.

Once installed, you’ll see a ChatGPT icon in Chrome. Click it to open a sidebar where you can:

• Chat with GPT-6 Astra while reading articles.

• Summarize whatever page you’re on without copying and pasting.

• Ask it to recreate or analyze the structure of a website.

Because the extension has context on the page you’re viewing, you can say things like:

• “Explain this article in simple terms and give me three key takeaways.”

• “Rebuild this page’s layout in HTML and CSS.”

Your chats stay in sync with the desktop app, so you can start a conversation in Chrome and continue it later in the standalone ChatGPT app.

5. Grokbot: build a team of AI agents for your business

Grokbot is an AI agent platform that lets you create a “team” of agents connected to your tools—things like Slack, project management systems, and other business apps.

Once Grokbot is connected, you can ask questions like:

• “What are the latest updates in Slack about the Windows video?”

• “Has the intro script been finished? If yes, send me the link.”

Because it’s plugged into your systems, it can respond with live information, links to threads, and relevant files. It’s like having an operations assistant who knows where everything lives.

To make Grokbot feel instant, add a Raycast shortcut:

1. Open Raycast with Alt + Space and search for Grokbot.

2. Right-click it → Configure command → Open command settings.

3. Set a hotkey, such as Alt + G.

Now you can press Alt + G anytime to bring up your team of agents and ask what’s happening across your stack.

6. Claude for Excel: spreadsheet superpowers on Windows

If you work with data, finance, reporting, or dashboards, the Claude extension for Excel is one of the most powerful upgrades you can install on a Windows machine.

With a Claude subscription, you can add the Excel add-in and use models like Opus 5 directly inside your spreadsheet. On Windows, Excel’s performance and feature set pair especially well with Claude’s reasoning and formatting skills.

What Claude can do inside Excel

Once installed, you can give Claude natural-language instructions like:

• “Create a full financial dashboard for a fictional SaaS startup, including monthly revenue, churn, MRR growth, and a summary chart.”

• “Generate realistic sample data for 12 months and make it tell a story of steady growth with one dip.”

Claude will:

• Design the sheet structure.

• Populate realistic sample data.

• Build charts and dashboards.

• Format everything to look professional and readable.

You can literally walk away, grab a drink, and come back to a polished spreadsheet with charts and summaries ready to present. Opus 5 is usually the best balance of speed and cost; more advanced models like Fable are powerful but slower and more expensive.

If you’re deep into AI-powered productivity on Windows, you may also find it helpful to explore how Claude fits into broader workflows; for example, see this beginner’s guide to Claude AI for more context on what the models can do.

7. Notion: AI-friendly workspace for docs and knowledge

Notion is already a popular workspace for documents, wikis, and project notes—but it’s also one of the tools that AI controls especially well. Its API, block system, and MCP/tooling support make it a great target for Codex-style automation.

With the Notion plugin connected inside ChatGPT desktop, you can ask Codex to:

• Create new pages in specific databases (like “Key Docs”).

• Update existing docs with new sections, summaries, or tables.

• Reformat content using Notion’s richer blocks, like tabs or callouts.

Example: turning a doc into a tabbed mini-slide deck

Suppose you have a standard Notion doc and you want it to be more visual and interactive. You can open ChatGPT (with your Notion plugin connected) and say something like:

• “Take the document you just created in ‘Key Docs’ and convert the top section into Notion’s tabs view. Use different tabs for overview, key metrics, and action items. Highlight important keywords in red and bold them.”

Codex will then:

• Switch the layout to Notion’s tabs block (you can also insert it manually with /tabs).

• Split content into multiple tabs.

• Apply the requested formatting to important phrases.

The result is a doc that feels more like a lightweight slide deck, created automatically by AI. Because Notion is so AI-friendly, it often works better with these tools than traditional docs in Google Docs or some project management apps.

8. Use your phone as a remote for ChatGPT on your PC

The final piece of this setup actually lives on your phone. The ChatGPT app includes a Remote feature that lets you control your ChatGPT desktop app—and, through Codex, your entire Windows computer—from your mobile device.

How to connect your phone as a remote

On your Windows PC:

1. Open the ChatGPT desktop app.

2. Click your profile → Settings.

3. Search for Remote and open it.

4. Choose Control this PC → Add → Connect phone.

5. Scan the QR code using the ChatGPT app on your iPhone or Android.

Once connected, you can:

• Open any existing chat from your phone.

• Type new instructions that will run on the desktop app.

Because Codex can use computer control, your phone can indirectly control your Windows machine. For example, from your phone you could say:

• “Open the Notion app on my computer (not the browser), add two summary paragraphs in orange at the bottom of the AI revenue document, and bring that window to the front.”

Your PC will respond accordingly: Codex will edit the Notion doc, switch to the native Notion app, and bring it into focus. As long as your computer stays on, you essentially have a remote AI-powered assistant you can trigger from anywhere.

Hardware matters: choosing a Windows laptop for AI

While the focus here is software, hardware still matters when you’re running AI tools all day. A high-performance Windows laptop with strong CPU/GPU capabilities, fast memory, and good cooling will handle Codex, video editing, and multitasking much more smoothly.

Devices like the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra, for example, combine:

• Intel Core Ultra X7 series processors for heavy AI and creative workloads.

• Lightweight builds (around 2.1 lbs) with long battery life for mobile work.

• High-resolution OLED touchscreens for reviewing visuals.

• Business-grade security features and durability for people running a company from a single machine.

If you’re also doing video work on Windows, pairing this AI setup with strong editing software can be especially powerful; see our breakdown of the best video editing software for Windows with powerful AI tools for more ideas.

Bringing it all together

With just eight tools, you can turn a standard Windows laptop into an AI super machine:

• Raycast for instant app switching and clipboard history.

• ChatGPT desktop with Codex for computer control and deep integrations.

• WhisperFlow or Handy for fast voice-to-text prompts.

• Chrome + ChatGPT extension for AI in your browser sidebar.

• Grokbot to build a team of AI agents across your business tools.

• Claude for Excel to auto-create dashboards and complex sheets.

• Notion as an AI-friendly workspace for docs and knowledge.

• ChatGPT Remote on your phone to control your PC from anywhere.

Set these up once, add a few smart hotkeys, and your Windows machine stops being “just a laptop” and becomes a tightly integrated AI workstation that helps you move faster, build more, and automate the busywork out of your day.