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3.1 Bottlenecks, headroom, and tradeoffs

Lesson

Practice lab

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Build and test

Quote a complete $900 development PC

A remote developer needs concurrent apps, calls, ≥16 GB RAM, ≥500 GB SSD, and working display output within $900. Supplied costs: platform/case/PSU/cooling $250, shipping $30, backup $50; existing monitor/input devices and a suitable free OS cost $0. Select CPU, RAM, storage, and any needed graphics.

Complete supplied setup cost including $80 shipping/backup—
Remaining budget—

Change choices to compare results, then check the requirements.

  • Fit the complete $900 budget
  • Provide at least 16 GB RAM
  • Provide at least 500 GB SSD
  • Provide a supported display-rendering/output source
Lesson notes

Spend on the actual workload constraint while preserving memory, storage, power, cooling, and support.

Performance tradeoffs

A 1440p gaming and editing machine may deserve more GPU and VRAM than a basic office PC. A virtualization workstation may deserve more CPU cores and memory. A family photo archive may need storage redundancy and backups more than a faster GPU.

  • Spend on the constraint the user will actually hit.
  • Do not starve memory or storage to buy a flashy part.
  • Protect stability with appropriate PSU, cooling, and case airflow.

Headroom without waste

Headroom is useful when it covers load spikes, future upgrades, heat, and aging. Waste begins when extra capacity does not reduce risk or improve the workload.

Worked example

Inputs: Plan $910; removable cosmetic panel $35; cooling $40 and shipping $25 omitted.

Task: Recalculate and decide if removing the panel meets $900.

Check the reasoning

910 − 35 + 40 + 25 = $940, still $40 over budget.

Keep required support parts/software/peripherals/shipping visible. Component subtotal is not a complete budget.