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.
Enthusiast
$3,202 of $3,000
Highest AI & local models score the budget allows next to this card: 24 cores, boosts to 5.5 GHz.
2 swaps that still fit
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF-$38, -10 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265K-$41, -10 ptsBuy on Amazon
B860 board for the LGA1851 socket, DDR5, 3 M.2 slots, Wi-Fi.
2 swaps that still fit
- ASRock B860 Challenger WiFi White-$50, -8 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Gigabyte B860M Aorus Elite WiFi6E Icesame price, -2 ptsBuy on Amazon
64 GB DDR5 at 6000 MT/s CL40; 64 GB or more is the floor for AI & local models.
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
- Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB-$371, -14 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Radeon RX 9070-$200, -3 ptsBuy on Amazon
Rated 330 W for a chip that turbos to 250 W.
3 swaps that still fit
- Thermalright Frozen Notte 360 White-$16, -18 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Thermalright Frozen Notte 360-$23, -18 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Corsair Nautilus 360 RS+$39, -12 ptsBuy on Amazon
750 W, 80 Plus gold; this build draws about 750 W at full tilt, native 12V-2x6 cable.
4 swaps that still fit
- Corsair CX750same price, -24 ptsBuy on Amazon
- MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5same price, same scoreBuy on Amazon
- Corsair RM750e+$10, -2 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Corsair RM750e White+$10, -2 ptsBuy on Amazon
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
- Phanteks XT Pro Ultra+$6, -4 ptsBuy on Amazon
2 TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe, 14,700 MB/s reads, with cache.
2 swaps that still fit
- Crucial T705 2TB-$18, -1 ptsBuy on Amazon
- WD Black SN8100 2TB+$74, same scoreBuy on Amazon
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.