All articles tagged "budget-build" : self-hosted AI fixes, setups, and architecture notes.
Three honest paths at €15k for the one-person consultancy or small studio that has outgrown a single box: dual RTX 5090 on a Threadripper Pro workstation, DGX Spark plus a dedicated inference second box, or a refurbished pro-workstation route. Current Geizhals prices, UPS sizing, and the cases where this tier is genuinely the floor.
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A used RTX 3090 plus a current AM5 platform gets you a real local-inference box for under €2k in 2026. Component picks with current Geizhals prices, honest power-cost math for Germany, the US, and India, and a list of models this build runs well and the ones it does not.
Two honest €4k paths: a new RTX 4090 24 GB on AM5, or a used RTX A6000 48 GB on a Threadripper-class platform. Component picks with current Geizhals prices, the workload that breaks each path, and a side-by-side with DGX Spark at the same money.
At €8k the binding question stops being VRAM ceiling and becomes architecture choice. A DGX Spark plus accessories on one side, an RTX 5090 32 GB workstation on the other. I run the Spark; here is the comparison from the inside, with current Geizhals prices captured 2026-05-22.