AMD GPUs
AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700
- Memory
- 32 GB
- Bandwidth
- 645 GB/s
Largest popular model at 4-bit: Qwen3.6 35B A3B
32 GB for about a third of an RTX 5090: the cheapest new 32 GB card.
from $1,550 (typical price)Recommended
NVIDIA · NVIDIA GPUs · 2020
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
Illustration
Good budget optionDiscontinued (still sold)
The homelab classic: 24 GB and 936 GB/s, bought used. Two of them make 48 GB.
- Memory
- 24 GB
- Bandwidth
- 936 GB/s
- Power
- 350 W
- Largest popular model at 4-bit
- Qwen3.6 27B
from $1,340 (typical price)
Researched from manufacturer data and public sources; not tested by us.· Last reviewed Oct 11, 2026
What it can run
EstimatePopular models at Q4_K_M with a 32K-token context. Memory needed from real model files; speed is the theoretical ceiling.
Change model size or context
Model weightsContext cache (KV)RuntimeUsable limit (colour = verdict)
| Model | Verdict | Memory | Speed ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen3 1.7B | Runs | ≤ 843 tok/s | |
| Qwen3.5 9B | Runs | ≤ 165 tok/s | |
| Gemma 4 12B | Runs | ≤ 131 tok/s | |
| gpt-oss-20b | Runs | ≤ 468 tok/s | |
| Qwen3.6 27B | Runs | ≤ 56 tok/s | |
| Qwen3.6 35B A3B | Partly in system RAM | — | |
| Llama 3.3 70B | Not enough memory | — | |
| gpt-oss-120b | Partly in system RAM | — | |
| Qwen3.5 122B A10B | Partly in system RAM | — | |
| Qwen3.5 397B A17B | Partly in system RAM | — |
Theoretical maximum for generating text: memory bandwidth divided by the bytes read per token. Real runs usually reach about half to three quarters of it.
Where to buy
Prices are editorial references (launch price and a typical street price on the date shown), not live prices. In 2026 the memory shortage has pushed many prices well above launch.
- RTX 3090 24 GB (used or renewed)24 GB · UsedLaunch price: $1,499 · Typical price: ~$1,340 (checked Sep 30, 2026)
Second-hand: prefer renewed units with a warranty; check that the memory pads and fans are in good shape.
- Check price Amazon.com (opens in a new tab)Amazon.comCheck availability
Other regions (3)
- Check price Amazon.co.uk (opens in a new tab)Amazon.co.ukUnited Kingdom · Check availability · Search results
- Check price Amazon.es (opens in a new tab)Amazon.esSpain · Check availability · Search results
- Check price Amazon.de (opens in a new tab)Amazon.deGermany · Check availability · Search results
Prices are shown only if updated in the last 24 hours and may change; the retailer’s price at checkout applies. We may earn a commission from these links at no cost to you. Affiliate disclosure
Overview
Editorial opinionBest for: 24 GB on a budget, and 48 GB builds with two cards for 70B models.
Editorial opinionWould we buy it today?
Yes, from a seller with a warranty. Still the best value per GB of fast GPU memory.
Pros and cons
Editorial opinionPros
- 24 GB with CUDA for far less than new cards
- Nearly 1 TB/s of bandwidth
- Supports NVLink between two cards
Cons
- Used: no or short warranty
- 350 W and hot memory chips
- Used prices have risen a lot in 2026
Specifications
Factual data- Manufacturer
- NVIDIA
- Chip
- GA102
- Architecture
- Ampere
- Type
- Graphics card
- Form factor
- PCIe card
- Released
- 2020
- Availability
- Discontinued (still sold)
- Memory options
- 24 GB
- Memory type
- GDDR6X
- Memory bus
- 384-bit
- Memory bandwidth
- 936 GB/s
- Usable for models (default)
- 24 GB / 24 GB
- Board / max power
- 350 W
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0 x16
- Power connector
- 2× 8-pin (varies by card)
- Compute stack
- CUDA
- Models
- Any model that fits
- Several units for one model
- Yes
Source: Manufacturer specifications
Software support
Editorial opinionHow well the popular local-AI tools run on it today (editorial assessment).
- llama.cppExcellent
- OllamaExcellent
- LM StudioExcellent
- vLLMExcellent
- MLXNot supported
Measured speeds
Factual dataMeasured results with their source. We never invent speeds.
No measured results yet. The table above shows the theoretical ceiling instead.
Alternatives
AMD GPUs
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- Memory
- 24 GB
- Bandwidth
- 960 GB/s
Largest popular model at 4-bit: Qwen3.6 27B
24 GB and 960 GB/s: RTX 3090-class memory, bought new.
from $1,358 (typical price)Recommended
Intel GPUs
Intel Arc Pro B70
- Memory
- 32 GB
- Bandwidth
- 608 GB/s
Largest popular model at 4-bit: Qwen3.6 35B A3B
Intel's big Battlemage: 32 GB and 608 GB/s for less than AMD's R9700.
from $1,268 (typical price)Recommended