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.
The ultimate budget entry card. 12GB of VRAM provides the vital headroom needed for Llama 3 and Stable Diffusion at minimum cost.
| Metric | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 24GB | 12GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 936 GB/s | 360 GB/s |
| AI Throughput (TOPS) | 285 | 102 |
| TDP (Power Draw) | 350W | 170W |
| Est. Price | $749.99 | $249.99 |