Comment by outworlder

> Not to mention, running a giant model locally for hours a day is sure to shorten the lifespan of the machine…

That is not a thing. Unless there's something wrong (badly managed thermals, an undersized PSU at the limit of its capacity, dusty unfiltered air clogging fans, aggressive overclocking), that's what your computer is built for.

Sure, over a couple of decades there's more electromigration than would otherwise have happened at idle temps. But that's pretty much it.

> I think I would need to spend $2000+ to run a decent model locally

Not really. Repurpose second hand parts and you can do it for 1/4 of that cost. It can also be a server and do other things when you aren't running models.