How to compare AI hardware quotes

Make sure you are pricing the same unit

Start every comparison with the manufacturer model and exact configuration. Is the line item one accelerator, a pair, an eight-module baseboard, a barebone or a complete system? The same platform name may appear on each of those very different offers.

Write the installed GPU quantity next to the unit price. Record the memory and format of each accelerator. A chassis advertised as supporting eight cards may be supplied with two, or with none. Similarly, an accelerator baseboard may include all eight modules but still need a CPU host, power supplies and cooling integration.

Align the hardware lines

• Accelerators: exact part numbers, quantity, memory, thermal variant and included interconnect.
• CPU and RAM: populated processor models and DIMM configuration, not platform maxima.
• Storage: boot devices, data drives, endurance class, trays and any required controller.
• Networking: adapter models, port speeds, optics and cables. Ports alone do not establish a working fabric.
• Chassis: power supplies, rails, management features and the intended redundancy configuration.
• Software and service: licence terms, support duration, provider and service territory.

If alternatives are acceptable, ask the supplier to mark each substitution. Keep a baseline configuration so that a change in price can be traced to a change in what you receive.

Separate condition from warranty

New, refurbished, used and new old stock are different conditions. Ask for the offered condition explicitly, alongside the serial-number and provenance documentation available for the unit. Packaging alone does not establish warranty coverage.

Record who handles a fault, where a failed part must be sent, the service response and which costs are included. Manufacturer support, reseller warranty and an on-site service agreement should appear as separate terms in your comparison. For a discontinued platform, confirm replacement-part and support arrangements before relying on a low price.

Read the price basis

Check currency, VAT treatment, quantity tier and validity. A volume price available only for twenty accelerators is not a verified single-card offer. An education or programme discount is relevant only if your purchase qualifies.

Prices are in EUR excluding VAT and apply to the configuration shown. Your quotation confirms quantities, delivery and payment terms.

Our price guide shows our equipment price ranges in euros excluding VAT, with the configuration included in each range. Send us your specification and quantity for a quotation covering your requirements.

Ask what is actually available

Distinguish a product that is listed in a catalogue from a supplier allocation or a physically available unit. Obtain an expected availability date, expected dispatch date and delivery terms. They are different milestones.

For a multi-server deployment, ask whether all systems can arrive together, whether components are consistent across the batch and how substitutions will be approved. If the delivery date is critical, make that requirement part of the enquiry rather than adding it after the configuration is chosen.

Send a comparable shortlist

Use “Add to quote” to combine equipment and quantities into one request. Include the mandatory specifications, acceptable alternatives, destination and target date. Attach your baseline bill of materials when you have one.

Review the resulting offer against the same checklist. Confirm the installed configuration, full order cost, availability, warranty and acceptance process before making the purchase decision.