Best GPU for Local AI Cybersecurity
Written by Jakub Rusinowski · Last updated October 7, 2026
Ranked for security analysis and defensive research: Log and alert triage, code review for vulnerabilities, and analysis that cannot be sent to a third party.
Best overall: NVIDIA DGX Spark
128 GB VRAM at 273 GB/s. It runs 131 of the models that qualify for this workload; the strongest is Qwen 3.7 35B-A3B at an estimated 63.8 tokens/sec.
The picks
| GPU | VRAM | MSRP | Models that fit | Best model it runs | Est. speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | NVIDIA DGX Spark | 128 GB | $4,699 | 131 | Qwen 3.7 35B-A3B | ~63.8 tok/s |
| Best value | AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT | 16 GB | $499 | 91 | Devstral Small 2 24B | ~28.9 tok/s |
| Budget pick | Intel Arc B570 | 10 GB | $219 | 80 | Qwen 3 14B | ~27.8 tok/s |
| Most memory | NVIDIA DGX Spark | 128 GB | $4,699 | 131 | Qwen 3.7 35B-A3B | ~63.8 tok/s |
Full ranking for security analysis and defensive research
| GPU | Score | VRAM | MSRP | Models fit | Est. speed | Tok/s per watt | Cost per model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA DGX Spark | 79.8 | 128 GB | $4,699 | 131 | ~63.8 | 0.43 | $36 |
| NVIDIA RTX A6000 | 77.6 | 48 GB | $4,649 | 121 | ~142.4 | 0.47 | $38 |
| NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation | 77.2 | 48 GB | $6,799 | 121 | ~164.8 | 0.55 | $56 |
| NVIDIA L40S | 76.9 | 48 GB | $7,499 | 121 | ~154.1 | 0.44 | $62 |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 | 74.7 | 32 GB | $1,999 | 117 | ~59.4 | 0.1 | $17 |
| AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 71.5 | 24 GB | $999 | 117 | ~33.9 | 0.1 | $9 |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 | 70.9 | 24 GB | $1,599 | 117 | ~35.5 | 0.08 | $14 |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti | 70.2 | 24 GB | $1,999 | 117 | ~35.5 | 0.08 | $17 |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 | 68.9 | 24 GB | $1,499 | 117 | ~33.1 | 0.09 | $13 |
| AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT | 66.5 | 20 GB | $899 | 106 | ~28.6 | 0.09 | $8 |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | 65.7 | 16 GB | $749 | 91 | ~40.3 | 0.13 | $8 |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | 63.7 | 16 GB | $999 | 91 | ~42.9 | 0.12 | $11 |
How these numbers are calculated
- GPUs are scored on four axes: capability (45%), speed (30%), value (20%) and efficiency (5%), each normalised across the whole ranking.
- Capability means the intrinsic strength of the best model the card can hold — not how many models fit, and not how fast it streams a small one.
- Speed is capped at 40 tok/s: past that, more throughput does not change how the model feels to use.
- Apple Silicon is excluded from this ranking. Those entries price a whole computer and rate a chip's package power, so on price-per-capability and performance-per-watt they would beat every add-in card by construction. Apple hardware is covered on the macOS platform page instead.
- Weighted like a coding workload with the licence sensitivity of an enterprise one, and a long-context floor for log and diff analysis. The reason this workload runs locally at all is usually that the material cannot leave the network, which is why licence weight is high (0.7).
FAQ
What is the best GPU for security analysis and defensive research?
The NVIDIA DGX Spark — 128 GB of VRAM runs 131 qualifying models, the strongest being Qwen 3.7.
What is the cheapest GPU that works for security analysis and defensive research?
The Intel Arc B570 at $219, which runs 80 qualifying models.
How much VRAM do I need for security analysis and defensive research?
8 GB is the entry point at which a model for this workload will run at all. More memory buys a stronger model, not just a faster one.
What These GPUs Run
- Best models for the NVIDIA DGX Spark
- Best models for the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
- Best models for the Intel Arc B570
GPU Reviews
- NVIDIA DGX Spark review
- NVIDIA RTX A6000 review
- NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation review
- NVIDIA L40S review