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Build a PC / AI & local models

$3,000 PC for local AI models, part by part

An Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus with the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB, and the 6 parts around them that fit it: $3,202 all in.

Language and image models on your own card. Every part here was checked against every other for fit, and picked for video memory first, then card speed, then system memory. A price marked Amazon US is ScoutPrices' reading of the listing its button opens, dated; the rest are typical prices. Not a checkout total: no operating system, shipping, tax, screen, keyboard or mouse.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB are well matched at 1440p.

76Fit for the job

Enthusiast

$3,202 of $3,000

PartScore for the jobPriceBuy
ProcessorIntel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

Highest AI & local models score the budget allows next to this card: 24 cores, boosts to 5.5 GHz.

2 swaps that still fit
97
$386Amazon US, Oct 25
MotherboardGigabyte B860 Aorus Elite WiFi7

B860 board for the LGA1851 socket, DDR5, 3 M.2 slots, Wi-Fi.

2 swaps that still fit
76
$170typical price
MemoryCrucial Pro 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-6000 CL40 White

64 GB DDR5 at 6000 MT/s CL40; 64 GB or more is the floor for AI & local models.

85
$1,110Amazon US, Oct 25
Graphics cardSapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB

16 GB of video memory, index 70 at 1440p; tuned for video memory first, then card speed, then system memory.

2 swaps that still fit
54
$900Amazon US, Oct 25
CPU coolerArctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360

Rated 330 W for a chip that turbos to 250 W.

3 swaps that still fit
96
$70Amazon US, Oct 25
Power supplybe quiet! Pure Power 12 M 750W

750 W, 80 Plus gold; this build draws about 750 W at full tilt, native 12V-2x6 cable.

4 swaps that still fit
82
$80Amazon US, Oct 25
CaseMontech Air 903 Max

4 fans in the box, 3 of them lit, 4 is the least 554 W of parts needs behind a mesh front. Takes EATX/ATX/MATX/ITX boards and cards up to 400 mm.

1 swap that still fit
82
$80Amazon US, Oct 25
StorageSamsung 9100 Pro 2TB

2 TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe, 14,700 MB/s reads, with cache.

2 swaps that still fit
97
$406Amazon US, Oct 25
Total8 parts, 7 read on Amazon US and 1 typical$3,202

The same list, more or less money

$3,000 spent on a different job

The same money buys a different machine when the work changes.