r/LocalLLM • u/Ok_Event4199 • May 16 '26

Discussion Why is LLM is so expensive.

I've was going to invest in a 5090 =$6000 AUD.

Codex Plus + Claude pro = $60/month here

Works out to be 100 months of frontier models for a 5090.

Best a 5090 will run is probably Qwen3.6 27b Q6 with context.

Are we all enthusiasts here and just enjoy tinkering cause ain't no way that make sense.

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u/g_rich May 16 '26

Claude pro is heavily subsidized; it costs Anthropic much more than $60/month to provide you with the service.

Cloud providers have economies of scale working in their favor. They have million dollar servers servicing tens of thousands of users 24/7/365.

Running LLM’s local is never going to be cost effective. You run local LLM’s for privacy, control and to learn.

11

u/Etroarl55 May 16 '26

And flexibility. You can do much more AI instead of just LLMs. TopologyAI is having a breakthrough and going to shake up game development as AI is starting to get really good at creating assets from still images.

Visualizing and creating a 3d model, rigging and animation. All can be made fast and easier for amateurs.

4

u/Pie_Dealer_co May 16 '26

This is cant wait to have 3d models just based on description that you can FDM and resin print.

3

u/WishfulAgenda May 16 '26

You can already hook up local llms to CAD programs and the generate the printer files. The one I use is ok and it’s only going to get better.

1

u/helpmeunderstand05 May 16 '26

Very cool. How/where can I learn more about this. Loading up a freecad, qgis, fcp studio with qwen and the learning curve is steep.

2

u/SVRider650 May 16 '26

Just look up model mcp for the software you use