AI model cost chart shows

Short summary

A widely-shared chart comparing AI models on cost versus capability uses API pricing, not self-hosting costs—a crucial gap. Running on consumer GPUs limits you to models one tier below the chart's best open options, with hard VRAM constraints and steep long-context latency. But self-hosting still wins: data privacy, offline operation, fine-tuning control, and stable versions matter more than cost-per-token—practical sweet spots are 12B on 11GB GPU or 27B on 24GB GPU.

• •Popular AI cost charts show API pricing, not consumer GPU self-hosting reality
• •Consumer GPUs run models one tier below chart winners; VRAM and long-context latency are hard constraints
• •Self-hosting value is privacy, control, and stability—not cost; 12B/11GB or 27B/24GB are practical sweet spots

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.