Compare two builds
Side-by-side comparison of two custom builds. Effective VRAM, runtime recommendation, expected speed penalty, hardware cost, power draw, operational complexity — explained honestly.
Don't oversimplify. Both columns surface the operational tradeoffs, not just the spec sheet.
Windows beginner build
GPUs
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super (16 GB)
Effective VRAM
~14 GB
of 16 total
Topology
single gpu
none
Speed penalty
0%
vs ideal single-card
Setup difficulty
beginner
Hardware cost
~$829
GPUs only · street price
Sustained power
~377 W
+ system overhead
Recommended runtime
LM StudioBuild context
OS: windows
RAM: 32 GB
Use case: chat
Skill: beginner
Apple M4 Max laptop build
GPUs
Effective VRAM
~0 GB
of 0 total
Topology
apple unified
unified-memory
Speed penalty
0%
vs ideal single-card
Setup difficulty
beginner
Hardware cost
—
GPUs only · street price
Sustained power
~210 W
+ system overhead
Recommended runtime
MLX-LMBuild context
OS: macos
RAM: 64 GB
Use case: coding
Skill: intermediate
Tradeoffs at a glance
| Dimension | Build A | Build B |
|---|---|---|
| Effective VRAM | ~14 GB | ~0 GB |
| Total VRAM | 16 GB | 0 GB |
| Speed penalty | 0% | 0% |
| Setup complexity | beginner | beginner |
| Hardware cost | ~$829 | — |
| Sustained power | ~377 W | ~210 W |
| Topology | single gpu | apple unified |
| Pooled memory? | No | Yes |
| Recommended runtime | LM Studio | MLX-LM |
| OS | windows | macos |
| Skill required | beginner | intermediate |