📢
17
c/ai-innovations•lane.drewlane.drew•3mo ago

I ran a local model on my laptop for a month instead of using the cloud API.

The $40 I spent on electricity was less than the API calls would have cost, and I got way faster responses for my prototyping. Anyone else find the cloud cost calculators are way off for small, constant use?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
ruby_fisher1
Got to disagree on the math here. You're only counting your power bill but not the laptop itself. That machine cost you maybe a grand, and running it hard for a month wears it out faster. For my small projects, the cloud is cheaper because I only pay for the few hours I actually use it, not 24/7. The calculators were spot on for my case, saving me from buying new hardware.
8
paul117
paul1173mo agoMost Upvoted
Right, @ruby_fisher1, plus the noise and heat are brutal.
6
luna_green
luna_green2mo ago
Yeah I saw a thing about how people forget to factor in the replacement cost. Like your laptop might last 3 years instead of 5 if you're always maxing it out. Idk, makes sense to me.
2