[2017]
I mean, with about $120K, we can technically run a 137B model locally. Any small company or rich individuals can afford this easily. So the "outrageous" back then is pretty "middle" now.
A maxed out M2 Mac Studio can easily run 70B models and very likely 137B models too. The key is quantization.
So it’s all within reach for under $7k if you’re willing to accept a slightly lower quality (~5 bit quantization).