GL

Asset Arbitrage

Local GPU vs. Cloud GPU Calculator

Compare the TCO of building a local deep learning GPU workstation against renting cloud GPU compute instances.

⚙️

Your Usage Pattern

Hours per Day6 hours
1 hour24 hours
Days per Month18 days
1 day30 days
Time Period (Months)12 months
1 month36 months

Monthly Usage

108 hours

🎮

Select GPU

Hardware Cost

$1,599

Power Draw (TDP)

450W

System components (CPU, RAM, Motherboard, etc.)$1,000
$500$2,000
Local Electricity Rate$0.12/kWh
$0.05/kWh$0.50/kWh
☁️

Select Cloud Provider

Cloud Storage Size100 GB
10 GB1,000 GB

Persistent storage priced at $0.15 / GB / month

💰

Cost Analysis

Local Hardware

GPU Cost (24GB):$1,599
System components:$1,000
Electricity (12 months):$109
Maintenance budget:$130
Total Cost:$2,838
Cost per Hour:$2.190/hr

RunPod Cloud GPU

Setup Fee:$10
Usage (12 months):$959
Storage (12 months):$180
Total Cost:$1,149
Cost per Hour:$0.887/hr
☁️ Cloud Wins!

Cloud saves $1,689

Renting on demand prevents costly hardware depreciation and upfront CapEx.

🎯 Recommendation

For light usage of 108 hours/month, cloud GPUs remain superior to offset the high hardware setup price.

Try RunPod (No Upfront Cost) →

Break-Even Point

31.7 mo

Monthly Difference

$141

Ready to Start?

Get started with cloud GPUs in 5 minutes. No hardware required.

RunPod TutorialVast.ai Guide

Arbitrage logic

How to evaluate

  1. 1. Configure your average active compute hours per day and days per month.
  2. 2. Select your local hardware graphics card and add system component overhead.
  3. 3. Compare electricity costs and cloud storage fees across major providers.

TCO Logic

We factor in full GPU & system power TDP, electricity rate, system component overhead, depreciation, setup fees, and cloud storage volumes for an accurate comparison.

FAQ

How is the local GPU TCO calculated?

We sum the selected GPU cost, the customizable base system components overhead (CPU, RAM, motherboard, cooling, power supply), the active electricity cost under TDP load, and an annual 5% hardware maintenance budget.

How is cloud storage cost factored in?

Unlike some simple calculators, we include persistent cloud storage costs (assumed at $0.15/GB/month) for large datasets or model checkpoints, which can add up significantly over time.

What is hardware depreciation?

Deep learning workstations depreciate around 35% in residual value over a 2-3 year period as newer LLMs emerge requiring more VRAM. This makes renting highly competitive for short projects.