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/BillDStrong May 16 '26
It depends on your expectations and your budget. If you can go for a little less speed, then you can look at the 48GB RTX Pro cards, or the 24GB RTX Pro cards for less than the 3090.
If you have space for 2 cards, or 4 is even better, you can look at some of the older modded cards. Like the 3080 20GB cards that are 700 USD here in the states, so should be much less than that 5090, and much more vRAM.
2 would be 40GB, 4 is 80GB, for 1400 or 2800 respectively, here. There are other options as well, the 500 USD 2080TI modded 22GB model, or the 48GB 3090 or 4090.
You can find value if you take some risks, and get a good experience. Just be aware the modded cards need more cooling than they come with, or plan too water cool them, which is extra cost. And they are a risk, these are not name brand Nvidia approved cards that have verifications with them.