Get started
Size a PC for your Blender work
- 1
Decide what you render
Modelling and animation run on modest hardware. Final Cycles renders are where the graphics card, and its memory, decide how long you wait.
- 2
Pick VRAM before speed
A scene that doesn't fit in the card's memory won't render on it. 12 to 16 GB suits most hobby scenes; 24 to 32 GB gives room for detailed sets.
- 3
Compare speed with the Open Data score
Blender Open Data publishes median benchmark scores per card. Higher is faster; the ratio between two cards is a fair first guess at the render-time difference.
- 4
Price the rest honestly
Add the CPU, 32 GB of RAM (Blender's recommendation), storage, a power supply that can feed the card, and the electricity. Then compare with renting a GPU by the hour.
Blender's own hardware requirements
From blender.org, for Blender 5.0 and later on Windows and Linux. On macOS, Blender 5.0 and later needs Apple Silicon.
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4 cores with SSE4.2 | 8 cores |
| RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB |
| Graphics | 2 GB VRAM, OpenGL 4.3 | 8 GB VRAM |
Sources, as checked:
- Blender requirements (blender.org): blender.org/download/requirements/
Graphics cards for Blender rendering
Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. They change often, so check the provider's own page before you spend. The prices below are NVIDIA's launch list prices; in late 2026 shops often charge well above them, so check a retailer before you budget.
NVIDIA launch list prices (USD). Open Data: median score, Blender 4.5, OptiX; higher is faster.
| GPU | VRAM | List price | Open Data score |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5070 | 12 GB | $549 | 6,174 |
| RTX 5070 Ti | 16 GB | $749 | 7,589 |
| RTX 5080 | 16 GB | $999 | 9,138 |
| RTX 5090 | 32 GB | $1,999 | 14,966 |
Sources, as checked:
- NVIDIA newsroom: GeForce RTX 50 Series prices (6 Jan 2025): nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-blackwell-geforce-rtx-50-series-opens-new-world-of-ai-computer-graphics
- NVIDIA RTX 50 Series specs (nvidia.com): nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/50-series/
- Blender Open Data benchmark medians (opendata.blender.org): opendata.blender.org/
Blender too slow on a laptop? Your options
Laptop GPUs share a name with desktop cards but run at lower power, so they render slower. Blender Open Data medians make the gap visible:
Median score, Blender 4.5, OptiX. Compare with the desktop table above.
| Laptop GPU | Open Data score |
|---|---|
| RTX 4070 Laptop | 3,555 |
| RTX 5070 Laptop | 4,021 |
| RTX 5080 Laptop | 6,517 |
| RTX 5090 Laptop | 7,891 |
Sources, as checked:
- Blender Open Data benchmark medians (opendata.blender.org): opendata.blender.org/
- Model and animate on the laptop, and send final renders to a rented cloud GPU by the hour
- Use a render farm for long jobs or deadlines
- Buy or share a desktop with a bigger card if you render most days
- For previs, ads and social clips, plan the shot in Stage and make an AI video instead of rendering
What Stage needs instead
Stage, KreatorFlow's free 3D shot planner, runs in your web browser with nothing to install. It needs WebGL (graphics acceleration turned on in the browser) and draws the scene on your own graphics card. Phones get a Simple editor; Advanced tools need a computer. Imported models (.glb, .gltf or .vrm, up to 50 MB) stay in your browser.
Planning in Stage is free. Turning a shot into AI video spends credits only after you confirm: in the Animate dialog, a 10-second Seedance 2.5 clip is 47 credits at 720p and 100 credits at 1080p, from KreatorFlow's own credit code. Make it real, in Simple mode, makes the whole video at 720p and shows its exact credits first. Making the video needs a paid plan.
A strong PC still matters for final Blender renders. An AI video is not a frame-exact Blender render. The model invents surfaces, cloth, hair and small motion, and two takes from the same plan differ. It suits previs, ads and social clips, not a shot that has to match your Blender scene pixel for pixel.
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM do I need for Blender?
Blender lists 8 GB as the minimum and recommends 32 GB.
What graphics card do I need for Blender?
At least 2 GB VRAM, OpenGL 4.3; Blender recommends 8 GB VRAM. For Cycles rendering, more VRAM lets bigger scenes fit and a faster card renders sooner.
How much does a GPU for Blender cost?
NVIDIA launched the RTX 50 cards at list prices from $549 (RTX 5070) to $1,999 (RTX 5090). Shop prices in late 2026 are often higher.
Do I need a powerful PC for Stage?
No. Stage runs in a browser with WebGL on the computer you have. Phones get a Simple editor; Advanced tools need a computer. Making the AI video happens on KreatorFlow's side after you confirm the credits.
Should I buy a PC or rent a GPU for Blender?
Rent if you render a few hours a month; buy if you render most days. The GPU guide in this series works out the break-even hours.
