I'm trying to decide if I should invest in multiple small, low-powered machines or just go for one high-spec machine to handle my build processes. I'm currently limited to three build agents using TeamCity Community Edition. My builds are mainly producing Docker images, and I'm considering using a quad-core i3 with 8GB RAM for each agent because they're quite affordable. On the other hand, I could spend more to create a single, higher-spec machine with an i5 and 32GB RAM. Which option do you think would be more effective?
2 Answers
You should assess what you're building and how long it typically takes. Benchmark your builds with both setups to see if the lower spec meets your needs. Do you require higher parallelization for certain builds, or could you manage with the quad-core CPU for multiple builds?
It really depends on what you need. Consider profiling your builds first and then make a decision. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here!
Cool, thanks for the advice!
Thanks, I didn’t think of benchmarking with the lower spec. I’ll start with that and check if the performance holds up.