LocalLLaMA builder I_am_purrfect claims a from-scratch FPGA implementation of the Qwen3.5 architecture — which he describes as largely built with Claude Opus 4.8 — runs 9B/27B INT4 models on ~$280 used SQRL FK33 mining cards (8GB HBM2 ~400GB/s, multi-card for 27B); independent replication, an opened repo, or published tok/s numbers would establish ex-mining FPGA fabric as a genuinely new cheap local-inference tier, while debunking, unusable performance, or a repo-less fade closes it as an unrealized build.

state: corroboratedheat: lowuncertainty: mediumconvergesscott: mediumfpga-inference local-inference-hardware agent-assisted-hardware-designI_am_purrfect

What is this?

I_am_purrfect, a builder on r/LocalLLaMA, reports a from-scratch FPGA implementation of the Qwen3.5 architecture — written largely with Claude Opus 4.8 as the coding agent — that runs INT4-quantized 9B/27B Qwen3.5 models on used SQRL FK33 mining cards (~$280 each, 8GB HBM2 at ~400GB/s, multiple cards for 27B). The supplied web results contain no trace of this post, the builder, or the FK33 card itself: they only confirm the surrounding context — Qwen3.5 is a real Apache-2.0 open-weights family (released February 2026; the 27B dense variant ships as a ~20GB 4-bit build with 262k context) normally served on 24GB consumer GPUs or Apple Silicon via the GGUF/llama.cpp/Ollama stack. The build therefore rests entirely on the builder's own testimony: no repo, tok/s figures, card specs, or independent replication appear anywhere in the supplied material.

Why it matters to Scott

If verified (repo, tok/s, replication), this is a two-front dated receipt for positions Scott's canon already holds: Opus-written RTL for a full model architecture extends his agentic-coding thesis that disciplined agent loops ship real artifacts — from software into silicon — and a ~$280 8GB-HBM2/~400GB/s card serving 27B INT4 would open a new tier directly under hardware-aware local inference and his gamepc serving substrate. Until then it is unverified first-party testimony, so the value is conditional on the artifact landing; what's genuinely new versus the radar's lineage (Cmod A7 testbed, BC-250 mining rig, Opus-RISC-V build) is the three-way synthesis of agent-designed RTL + ex-mining fabric + frontier-model serving.

dev:concept.hardware-aware-local-inferencedev:project.gamepcip:source.your-ai-can-code-you-just-don-t-know-how-to-drive-it-ebookradar:concept.fpga-inferenceradar:andrew-fan-fpga-transformer-tpuradar:bc250-mining-rig-local-inferenceradar:opus55-hwe-riscv-beats-vexriscvradar:concept.chip-designradar:concept.memory-bandwidth

queries asked of Scott's wikis

FPGA inference for local LLMs
repurposing used mining GPUs/cards for AI workloads
coding agent writing Verilog or hardware RTL
local inference hardware cost per token amortization
memory bandwidth bound token generation decode speed
INT4 quantization for local model serving

Measured heat

now 0 pts/hpeak 75 pts/hcomments 0/hpeers p14momentum: steady3 platformsage 1250h

points/hour across evidence · reading as of 2026-10-12 02:59:37.977291+11:00 · deterministic, not a model opinion

How the heat travelled

08-20 13:50	⭐ origin echo-reconstructed	Primary artifact is the MIT-licensed repo itself, not the Reddit posts. Repo description: "Full-fabric VHDL Qwen3.5 9B/ Qwen3.8 27B LLM infe Nero7991 (GitHub) — evidently the same individual as Reddit user u/I_am_purrfect on github (echo) · attributed from reddit.post.1wxken1	—
10-04 16:51	first on r/LocalLLaMA · published · +1083.0h	Qwen3.5 arch implementation in FPGA fabric for 9B/27B INT4 models on relatively cheap eBay mining hardware I_am_purrfect	—
10-04 20:48	first on hacker news · published · +1087.0h	Full-fabric VHDL LLM inference engine. Runs Qwen3.5-class transformer inference jacquesm	—
10-04 16:51	amplified on r/LocalLLaMA 👑	reddit.post.1wxken1 I_am_purrfect	peak 354 · 43 comments · 99% of case engagement
10-04 20:48	amplified on hacker news	hn.story.49957671 jacquesm	peak 2 · 0 comments · 1% of case engagement
10-04 17:20	our radar first saw it · +1083.5h	discovery anchor: reddit.post.1wxken1	—

Evidence (3) — ⭐ canonical anchor

source	object	author	score	comments
🟠 reddit	Qwen3.5 arch implementation in FPGA fabric for 9B/27B INT4 models on relatively cheap eBay mining hardware LocalLLaMA Retrieved article excerpt Open article · Retrieved 2026-10-04T17:23:47.229420+00:00 # Prove your humanity We’re committed to safety and security. But not for bots. Complete the challenge below and let us know you’re a real person. [Reddit, Inc. © "2026". All rights reserved.](https://www.redditinc.com/) [User Agreement](https://www.reddit.com/help/useragreement) [Privacy Policy](https://www.reddit.com/help/privacypolicy) [Content Policy](https://www.reddit.com/help/contentpolicy) [Help](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us)	I_am_purrfect	354	43
🟧 echo.github ⭐	Primary artifact is the MIT-licensed repo itself, not the Reddit posts. Repo description: "Full-fabric VHDL Qwen3.5 9B/ Qwen3.8 27B LLM infe	Nero7991 (GitHub) — evidently the same individual as Reddit user u/I_am_purrfect	—	—
🟧 hn	Full-fabric VHDL LLM inference engine. Runs Qwen3.5-class transformer inference	jacquesm	2	0

Interpretation history

2026-10-08T01:39:45Z
Minor engagement uptick (score 343→354, comments 40→43) on the aging Reddit post triggered velocity spikes, but measured_heat shows current rate ~0 pts/h, momentum steady, peer percentile 50 — the spikes are noise on a cooling curve. No benchmarks, replication, RTL review, or debunk have appeared. The case remains a promising first-party build with a public MIT-licensed repo awaiting its performance numbers.
2026-10-05T12:48:04Z
The attention wave crested and is now cooling (peak ~75 pts/h → ~5.7, comments down to cheerleading) while HN uptake stayed dead — the episode now reads as a promising first-party build awaiting its numbers, not a spreading story; the magnitude-valve spread reading is inflated because the three 'platforms' are one hot Reddit post, the artifact's own repo echo, and a dead HN submission. The only new substance is an unverified technical reply citing a 75MHz clock from the gallery screenshots — suggestive (design likely runs far under HBM potential) but not a benchmark, review, or replication, so no material change and heat cools to low.
2026-10-04T22:02:26Z
Graduates from unverified testimony to a checkable public artifact: the MIT-licensed full-fabric VHDL repo is now the canonical anchor (linked from the Reddit selftext, origin-walked to Nero7991 at conf 0.85) and jacquesm independently surfaced it on HN — though with zero traction. The open question narrows from 'does the artifact exist' to 'does it perform': still no tok/s, RTL review, or replication; the magnitude-valve spread reading is inflated because the echo counts as a platform, so medium heat rather than high.
2026-10-04T21:24:13Z
evidence attached: hn.story.49957671 — Independent parallel full-fabric VHDL transformer-inference engine running Qwen3.5-class models materially contextualises whether FPGA fabric is emerging as a real local-inference tier, though zero traction and no perf numbers yet.
2026-10-04T17:36:59Z
origin walked (opencode/cheap-glm, conf 0.85): anchor reddit.post.1wxken1 -> echo.github.e11005881c by Nero7991 (GitHub) — evidently the same individual as Reddit user u/I_am_purrfect
2026-10-04T17:33:37Z
grounded: converges/medium — If verified (repo, tok/s, replication), this is a two-front dated receipt for positions Scott's canon already holds: Opus-written RTL for a full model architect
2026-10-04T17:25:10Z
case created — The builder's own post claims frontier-class 9B/27B models running on $280 ex-mining FPGA cards — a surprising, checkable first-party artifact claim squarely in Scott's local-inference and agent-designed-hardware interests, distinct from the existing FPGA (Andrew Fan Cmod A7 testbed) and ex-mining GPU (BC250 rig) cases.

Decision trace

10-08 12:40attention_routeThe editor compared this story and chose to keep watching.
10-08 12:39attention_candidatecoverage review: magnitude valve eligible (multi-platform, top-decile engagement); not yet communicated
10-08 12:39repriceMinor engagement uptick (score 343→354, comments 40→43) on the aging Reddit post triggered velocity spikes, but measured_heat shows current rate ~0 pts/h, momentum steady, peer percentile 50 — the spi
10-06 10:22sensor_dirtyvelocity_spike
10-06 02:23sensor_dirtyvelocity_spike
10-05 23:48repriceThe attention wave crested and is now cooling (peak ~75 pts/h → ~5.7, comments down to cheerleading) while HN uptake stayed dead — the episode now reads as a promising first-party build awaiting its n
10-05 19:21sensor_dirtyvelocity_spike
10-05 15:20sensor_dirtycomment_update
10-05 12:21sensor_dirtyvelocity_spike
10-05 10:21sensor_dirtycomment_update
10-05 09:02repriceGraduates from unverified testimony to a checkable public artifact: the MIT-licensed full-fabric VHDL repo is now the canonical anchor (linked from the Reddit selftext, origin-walked to Nero7991 at co
10-05 08:24attachIndependent parallel full-fabric VHDL transformer-inference engine running Qwen3.5-class models materially contextualises whether FPGA fabric is emerging as a real local-inference tier, though zero tr
10-05 08:24propose_attachIndependent parallel full-fabric VHDL transformer-inference engine running Qwen3.5-class models materially contextualises whether FPGA fabric is emerging as a real local-inference tier, though zero tr
10-05 06:21sensor_dirtyvelocity_spike
10-05 05:21sensor_dirtycomment_update
10-05 04:36promote_anchororigin walk conf 0.85
10-05 04:33groundIf verified (repo, tok/s, replication), this is a two-front dated receipt for positions Scott's canon already holds: Opus-written RTL for a full model architecture extends his agentic-coding thes
10-05 04:25createThe builder's own post claims frontier-class 9B/27B models running on $280 ex-mining FPGA cards — a surprising, checkable first-party artifact claim squarely in Scott's local-inference and a