Compute capital · local vs. cloud

Local Workstation vs. Cloud GPU

Cost per GPU-hour at the utilisation you will actually run — purchase price, power, maintenance and residual value against the on-demand rate, over the life you will actually keep the box.

01The hardware

Purchase price$Residual value% of priceWhat it is worth when you sell or replace it.Useful lifeyearsMaintenance$ / yr

02How you will use it

Hours per monthhoursActual GPU-busy hours, not hours the machine is switched on.Power drawwattsElectricity$ / kWhCloud rate$ / GPU-hrOn-demand, comparable card.

Owned cost includes purchase minus residual value, electricity at the load wattage you enter, and maintenance; it excludes your own setup and debugging time, which is real but personal. Cloud cost excludes egress, storage and the premium for reserved vs spot capacity. Hardware is assumed replaced at end of life at the residual value stated.