Rising GPU prices make local LLM upgrades harder
A setup started with a new RX 7900 XTX 24GB bought a few months ago for 900 euros, but adding a second card now costs much more. A new RX 7900 XTX is around 1,200 euros, and used units are around 900 euros.
The cheaper fallback is an RX 7900 XT 20GB at about 700 euros, which still feels expensive for older hardware. Nvidia cards are even more costly, and the current system uses AMD RDNA 3, so staying with RX 7900 XTX or XT looks preferable for llama.cpp with Vulkan or ROCm.
Mixing different technologies may create weaker or performance. There are few good choices for cards with a lot of video memory at a reasonable price, and no clear fix for the shortage, so buying while new AMD RDNA 3 cards are still available is becoming a difficult cost decision.
Key points
- A new RX 7900 XTX 24GB rose from about 900 euros to about 1,200 euros in this example.
- Used RX 7900 XTX cards are around 900 euros, close to the earlier new-card price.
- An RX 7900 XT 20GB is a cheaper option at about 700 euros, but still expensive.
- For an AMD RDNA 3 setup, matching cards may be better for llama.cpp with Vulkan or ROCm.
- The shortage of reasonably priced, high-memory s makes local LLM expansion harder.