All 5 recommendations
Est. prices as of Apr 30, 2026
#1 · NVIDIA · Best Value
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
$449
The LLM sweet spot - enough VRAM to run 13B models smoothly
- ✓ 16GB VRAM handles most local models
- ✓ Excellent power efficiency
- ✓ Reasonably priced for the memory
- ✗ Still pricey for true budget builds - consider waiting for price drops
#2 · NVIDIA · Hidden Gem
Tesla P40 24GB (Used)
$180-250
Enterprise workhorse with massive VRAM that destroys modern cards for LLMs
- ✓ Massive 24GB VRAM
- ✓ Dirt cheap on eBay
- ✓ Runs 20B+ models easily
- ✗ No display outputs - needs dummy plug or headless setup
#3 · AMD
Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB
$359
AMD's surprisingly capable LLM runner with ROCm support improving rapidly
- ✓ 16GB VRAM at lower cost
- ✓ ROCm support getting better
- ✓ Great for gaming too
- ✗ ROCm setup is still finicky compared to CUDA's plug-and-play experience
#4 · NVIDIA · Budget King
GeForce RTX 3060 12GB
$279
Entry-level LLM card that punches above its weight class
- ✓ Solid 12GB VRAM
- ✓ Lowest entry point for serious LLM work
- ✓ Widely available
- ✗ Limited to smaller 7B-13B models - larger ones will crawl or crash
#5 · NVIDIA · Most Overhyped
GeForce RTX 4070 12GB
$549
Fast but memory-starved - great marketing, mediocre LLM performance
- ✓ Latest architecture
- ✓ Great gaming performance
- ✓ Power efficient
- ✗ Only 12GB VRAM limits model size despite the premium price tag