Methodology
Every recommendation on LocalRig traces back to a number, and every number is either measured first-party or cited from a named source. This page explains how that testing and sourcing works, so you can judge the guides for yourself.
First-party benchmarks
When LocalRig reports a first-party result, it means the hardware was actually run. Each first-party benchmark records the exact machine and memory configuration, the runtime and its version (for example llama.cpp build b9820 or Ollama 0.30.11), the model and quantization (for example Llama 3.1 8B Q4_K_M), and the date the data was collected. That data date is shown on the article, because inference performance shifts as runtimes and drivers change.
Community-sourced numbers
LocalRig cannot test every card, so many throughput figures are community-sourced — pulled from r/LocalLLaMA benchmark threads, the llama.cpp GitHub issues, and similar public records. These are always labeled as community-cited and "not independently verified by LocalRig," and they are presented as planning ranges rather than guarantees, because results vary with runtime version, CUDA build, PCIe lanes, and thermal state.
Prices and availability
Price and availability claims carry a data date and are refreshed on a rolling basis (targeted at 90 days or sooner for fast-moving parts). The used-GPU market in particular moves with each new NVIDIA release, so guides tell you to verify current listings before buying rather than trusting a stale figure.
How recommendations are decided
- Fit before speed. VRAM determines what you can run; memory bandwidth determines how fast it runs. Compute (FLOPS) matters far less for token generation, so it is weighted accordingly.
- Best-fit, not best-paying. Picks are never ranked by affiliate commission. When a used card, a non-affiliate part, or renting in the cloud is the better answer, that's what the guide says.
- No invented figures. If a benchmark wasn't run and no source exists, the guide states the uncertainty instead of filling it with a made-up number.
- Scope stated plainly. Each guide includes a "Who this is NOT for" section so you can tell fast whether it answers your situation.
Corrections
If a number looks wrong or has gone stale, email [email protected] and it will be checked against the source. See also the about and affiliate disclosure pages.