r/LocalLLM keeps asking the same shopping question in different words: what does a gigabyte of VRAM cost right now? Threads like Price per GB of VRAM these days go viral because capacity, not TFLOPS marketing slides, decides which local models you can load.
This page is AI Computer Guide’s living answer. Prices and stock flags come from our catalog snapshot hardware.json last_updated 2026-08-04. Re-check live listings before you buy; affiliate links use tag kickiwebprodu-20.
Leaderboard: $/GB of VRAM (Aug 2026 catalog)
| Rank | GPU | VRAM | Catalog price | $/GB | Stock (feed) | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RTX 3090 | 24GB | $406.99 | $16.96 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
| 2 | RTX 4070 Ti Super | 16GB | $390.63 | $24.41 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
| 3 | RTX 3060 12GB | 12GB | $329.99 | $27.50 | In stock | Amazon |
| 4 | RTX 5090 | 32GB | $1,299.99 | $40.62 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
| 5 | RX 9070 | 16GB | $789.99 | $49.37 | In stock | Amazon |
| 6 | RX 9070 XT | 16GB | $799.99 | $50.00 | In stock | Amazon |
| 7 | RTX 5070 | 12GB | $649.99 | $54.17 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
| 8 | RTX 5070 Ti | 16GB | $949.97 | $59.37 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
| 9 | RTX 4070 Super | 12GB | $759.00 | $63.25 | In stock | Amazon |
| 10 | RTX 5080 | 16GB | $1,399.99 | $87.50 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
| 11 | RTX 4080 Super | 16GB | $1,519.99 | $95.00 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
| 12 | RTX 4090 | 24GB | $3,489.95 | $145.41 | OOS / tight | Amazon |
Formula: estimated_price ÷ VRAM_GB. We do not adjust for bandwidth, FP4/FP8 features, or multi-GPU friction. Those matter for tokens/sec. Capacity math still starts here.
How to Read the Board
1) Used 24GB still prints money
RTX 3090 at ~$17/GB is the value cliff. If a healthy used board clears burn-in, it beats almost every new 16GB card on pure capacity dollars. Pair it with guides like 4090 vs 3090 for AI and 5090 vs dual 3090.
2) In-stock AMD is the new “I need a card this week” lane
RX 9070 / 9070 XT ~$49-50/GB and flagged in stock while many NVIDIA 50-series SKUs show OOS. If CUDA exclusivity is not required, read RX 9070 XT + Ollama.
3) New NVIDIA is a premium on features + availability tax
5090 ~$41/GB looks almost reasonable next to a scalped 4090 ~$145/GB. 5080/4080 Super sit in the ugly middle on pure $/GB because you pay Ada/Blackwell premiums for 16GB ceilings. See best 16GB GPUs and 5070 Ti vs 4080 Super.
4) Cheap 12GB is a starter, not a forever card
3060 12GB ~$28/GB wins entry chat and small coding models. It will not carry MiniMax M2.5-class Q4 comfort or 70B work. Use budget GPU guide.
What $/GB Does Not Tell You
| Blind spot | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Memory bandwidth | MoE expert traffic and long-context KV love bandwidth |
| Software path | CUDA vs ROCm/Vulkan friction |
| Power / PSU / noise | 575W-class boards change case and electric bills |
| Dual-GPU tax | PCIe lanes, split GGUF, cooler clearance |
| Unified memory boxes | DGX Spark / Strix Halo are not “$/GB discrete VRAM” |
For RAM-first MoE (DeepSeek V4 Flash, Kimi K3), stop ranking gaming cards and open V4 Flash hardware or Kimi K3 reality check.
Shareable Rules of Thumb (Aug 2026)
- Under ~$25/GB → usually used Ampere value (verify condition).
- ~$40-60/GB → modern 16GB / some 32GB street prices when stock exists.
- Over ~$90/GB → you are paying scarcity, brand, or pro features, not capacity.
- Need a card in stock today → prioritize green stock flags (3060, 4070 Super, RX 9070 family in this snapshot).
FAQ
Is lower $/GB always better for local LLMs? For model size ceilings, yes. For tokens/sec and software, no. Buy capacity first, then spend on speed inside that tier.
Should I wait for 5090 restocks instead of a used 3090? If you need 32GB single-card and can wait, maybe. If you need tokens this month, a working 24GB 3090 often ships more real work.
Do you include Apple unified memory? Not in this discrete GPU table. Unified pools are a different product class; see DGX Spark buyer guide.
Bottom Line
Print this table, sort by your budget, then open the AI Computer Builder. Capacity is the bottleneck of the generative AI era. Price it like one.
Community inspiration: r/LocalLLM price-per-GB thread.
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About the Author: Justin Murray
AI Computer Guide Founder, has over a decade of AI and computer hardware experience. From leading the cryptocurrency mining hardware rush to repairing personal and commercial computer hardware, Justin has always had a passion for sharing knowledge and the cutting edge.