Choose the model frontier.Buy the GPU that actually earns it.
External evaluations provide model-quality references. Hardware recommendations require a memory estimate and a matching proxy record with documented runtime settings.
Open model shortlist
12
Pulled from the current OpenEvals snapshot.
Tested GPUs
57
Benchmark-backed devices across consumer, pro, datacenter, and Apple silicon.
Owner-reported captures
2
Real machine-generated evidence, not brochure copy.
Snapshot freshness
May 28, 2026
External quality layer generation date.
1. Pick an external target model
High-quality local open models
2. How we translate model quality into hardware picks
microsoft/Phi-3-medium-4k-instruct
We use external evals for model quality, estimate Q4 VRAM from parameter size, then rank GPUs with measured local throughput on the nearest tested workload class.
91.0
1 covered tasks
8.4 GB
Approximate fit estimate
Qwen 2.5 14B
14B-class proxy for serious coding and assistant workloads on 16GB-to-24GB cards.
No direct match
Frontier references still shown below
Trust line
Fit is estimated from parameter size. Speed rankings use the same proxy workload, quantization, context, batch size and recorded runtime. Missing matches are excluded. A proxy result does not measure the selected model; consult the evidence label and source.
3. Buying lane
4. Ranking mode
Best overall path
No qualifying card in this lane yet.
Best value path
No qualifying card in this lane yet.
Cheapest real entry
No qualifying card in this lane yet.
Recommended hardware
Best GPUs for microsoft/Phi-3-medium-4k-instruct
These cards combine inferred model fit with measured local throughput. Proxy workload: Qwen 2.5 14B. Any buy button below preserves your `fredoline-20` Amazon affiliate tag.
Public trust layer
Freshness, sources, and confidence
`OpenEvals` drives the open-model shortlist, `LM Arena` shows the broader community preference frontier, and `LiveBench` adds a live task-performance reference. We do not pretend those hosted snapshots are the same thing as local hardware proof.
Speed references come from attributed reports. A proxy is a different workload used only when matching settings exist; it is not a measurement of the selected model. Owner captures are not independent replication.
Owner-reported evidence
Published capture summaries
Current ingest includes your RTX 5080 local sweep. As new verified runs land, this section can become the strongest trust moat on the entire site.
What to do next
Move from this recommendation to deeper evidence
Compare specific cards, inspect the benchmark tables, or jump into the builder if you are balancing a full workstation instead of a standalone GPU buy.