Best GPU for 27B to 35B AI models
The "B" in a model's name is how many billions of settings it has. Bigger models give better answers but need more memory: to run 27B to 35B models fully on the card (or a Mac's shared memory) you need at least 20 GB. Below is every option we track with that much memory and a verified UK price, ranked by value where there are enough real speed tests. Prices refresh every morning.
Best value for 27B to 35B models
RTX 5090 32GB: £4,301 used, 70.9 tokens per second on 27B to 35B models (from 75 tests), 32 GB of memory.
A token is roughly ¾ of a word, so that is about 53 words per second.
Cheapest way in
The cheapest option we track with enough memory for 27B to 35B models is the RX 7900 XT 20GB at £565 used (20 GB).
Ranked by value
Price divided by speed on 27B to 35B models. Lower £ per speed is better.
| Rank | Option | UK price | Speed | £ per speed | Memory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | RTX 5090 32GB | £4,301 used | 70.9 tok/s from 75 tests | £60.66 | 32 GB |
Also fits, not ranked yet
- RX 7900 XT 20GB £565 used, 20 GB, no speed tests at this size yet
- RX 7900 XTX 24GB £772 used, 24 GB, no speed tests at this size yet
- RTX 3090 24GB £986 used, 24 GB, 42.7 tok/s from only 1 test ⚠
- RTX 3090 Ti 24GB £1,038 used, 24 GB, no speed tests at this size yet
- Mac mini M5 Pro (base config) £1,699 new, 24 GB, no speed tests at this size yet
- RTX 4090 24GB £2,201 used, 24 GB, 47.1 tok/s from only 1 test ⚠
- AMD Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) 128GB £2,830 new, 128 GB, no speed tests at this size yet
- Mac Studio M5 Max 40-core GPU (base config) £3,099 new, 48 GB, no speed tests at this size yet
- Mac Studio M5 Ultra (base config) £5,499 new, 96 GB, no speed tests at this size yet
Other model sizes: 7B to 9B models · 12B to 14B models · 70B and bigger models · By budget: under £300 · under £500 · under £1,000 · under £2,000 · All cards · Beginner's guide · How we rank
Weekly UK value moves, by email
Price drops, new benchmark results, best buys under £500 / £1,000 / £2,000.
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