Start here: AI hardware without the jargon
If you have never bought AI infrastructure before, read this first. Ten minutes here will save a great deal of money later.
Start with the workload
What you want AI to do decides the hardware. Specifications only make sense once the workload is defined.
Memory is usually the gate
A model has to fit in GPU memory before anything else matters. Capacity decides what is possible; bandwidth decides how fast it feels.
Local, server or rented
One person developing needs something very different from an application serving customers. The three routes are genuinely different products.
New or refurbished
Previous-generation enterprise hardware remains commercially useful for many steady workloads.
Buying is not the only option
Renting capacity first is often the cheaper way to learn what you actually need.
Hardware has a resale value
Infrastructure can be traded in or sold later. Factoring that in changes the real cost of ownership.