is a used Tesla P40 worth it for local AI? 24GB of VRAM for $300 — with a catch

The Tesla P40 is the cheapest way to get 24GB of VRAM, period. But it's a headless server card with no fan, and it's slow. Here's whether the… Aliteq Ravi Malhotra · Hardware Editor

24GB of VRAM for ~$240-480 — the cheapest 24GB card, unbeatable VRAM-per-dollar.

Catch 1: no cooling — it's a headless server card; you must add a fan/shroud (a DIY project).

Catch 2: it's slow — Pascal-era, no modern acceleration; expect modest tokens/second.

Great for: tinkerers wanting max VRAM cheaply, or a dedicated always-on AI box.

Better for most: a used RTX 3090 — also 24GB, far faster, plug-and-play, for more money.

Worth it only for tinkerers who want 24GB of VRAM as cheaply as possible (~$240-480) and don't mind rigging cooling and living with slow speed. For everyone else, a used RTX 3090 (also 24GB) is far…

Tesla P40 for local AI 2026

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