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About this quote

What does it mean?
Building a fast CPU is easy, but creating an efficient overall system is the real challenge.
In plain terms
Fast CPUs are simple; fast systems are hard.
What can you take from it?
Focus on system integration, not just component speed.

Where it applies

  • designing a new server
  • optimizing a data center

Putting it to work

  • benchmark whole system performance
  • balance hardware and software

Questions to consider

  • What part of my system is the bottleneck?
  • How can I improve overall performance without new hardware?

Another view

A fast system still depends on the quality of its individual parts.

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