Architect's technical teardown: VRAM capacity, memory bandwidth, TDP, and AI throughput — compared head-to-head for local LLM workloads.
The legendary used-market GOAT. 24GB VRAM at a fraction of the cost of 4090/5090. Still handles 70B models with ease.
16-core Raptor Lake processor. Excellent balance of multi-core AI preprocessing performance, high clock speeds, and overall system value.
| Metric | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 | Intel Core i7-13700K |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 24GB | 0GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 936 GB/s | 89.6 GB/s |
| AI Throughput (TOPS) | 285 | 1.2 |
| TDP (Power Draw) | 350W | 125W |
| Est. Price | $749.99 | $349.99 |