Build choice - am4 with more ram or am5 with less?

[Elf_Boy]

Just upgraded mu Mobo/CPU.

Now I am looking to build a second system from older parts to run an LLM and maybe even be that Linux box I've wanted to learn with.

I'll need to pick up an NVME drive and maybe a PSU - have everything else.

The question and for which I am asking advise: I have an Asus AM4 board with a 5950 and 128gb of ddr4, from 2 upgrades ago, -or- I can use my am5 670e board with the 7950x3d, but which has no ram - I would need to buy ddr5 and realistically getting more than 32 or 64gb at this point is going to be costly (blew my discretionary budget for some time with the mobo/cpu upgrade).

For an LLM is more memory (though ddr4 and slower) better or less but faster memory with a faster cpu better?

Both Mobo's are Asus TUF/Gaming models.

I know Linux can run on low ram just fine - or so I have read, but an LLM?

If it matters the old GPU is a Sapphire rx 6800 with a mild factory overclock.

 

[Grimlakin]

For running LLMs locally it's going to be the size of the LLM you want to run as opposed to the speed of the LLM itself.

Speed won't matter if you need to run an 80gb LLM and only have 64 gigs of ram. You don't want your LLM caching to disk or running in virtual memory. And really most dont give that option.