Buy vs Rent
Should you buy a GPU, or rent one?
Pick the model you actually want to run. We work out the cheapest rig that runs it locally and the cheapest cloud instance that fits, then show exactly when owning overtakes renting — in months, not hand-waving.
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Cumulative cost over time
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The local rig is the cheapest configuration that runs your model at the chosen quant — a single card when one fits, otherwise a multi-GPU build. Cloud is the cheapest on-demand instance with enough VRAM, at a representative market rate. Break-even weighs the one-time hardware cost against cloud hours, minus what you'd still pay for local electricity.
Decided to buy?
Spec the exact rig.
Take it to the hardware builder for a full parts list, or check what else your new machine can run.
Evidence & method
How this calculation works
Compares the amortised cost of owning a GPU against renting the equivalent in the cloud, to find where buying wins.
Data sources
- NVIDIA, AMD & Intel GPU documentation (TDP, price class)
- Cloud provider pricing
- Bitpute Methodology
Assumptions
- Energy = TDP × system-overhead factor × hours/day × 30.4 × months × rate
- Default utilisation 8 hours/day; electricity rate and hours are adjustable
- Purchase price amortised over the period; cloud-rent equivalent at the provider hourly rate
- Excludes cooling, networking, maintenance and datacentre cost beyond the TDP overhead factor
Limitations
- Electricity rates, utilisation and cloud prices vary widely by region, provider and contract
- Real power draw depends on workload, not just rated TDP
- Prices are indicative and change frequently
- Estimates are for comparison, not financial advice
Data status: Hardware specs — vendor documentation. Prices & rates — indicative and user-adjustable.
Related
Why does this estimate differ from other calculators?
- Different electricity rates and utilisation assumptions
- Cloud pricing variance by provider and region
- Power measured at the wall vs at the card
- Amortisation period and residual value
- Rounding