TechFuel HQTools
Free, offline-first tools for picking homelab and PC gear without sales pitches.
TechFuel HQ tools
Browser-based calculators and pickers for homelab and budget-PC decisions. The tools are static — they run entirely in your browser, never call out to an analytics server, and do not require a login.
Every tool entry links back to the article that justifies its catalog choices. The methodology behind every component pick is in the colophon.
Available tools
- PC Builder — Interactive component picker with socket/chipset/RAM/case compatibility checks, PSU wattage validation, and a shareable build URL. Parts dataset (30 components across CPU/GPU/motherboard/RAM/storage/PSU/case) is published under CC BY 4.0 at
/data/pc-builder-parts.json. - Budget Builder — Filters a vetted gear catalog (GPUs, NAS, networking) by budget ceiling, use case, and idle wattage. 14 components catalogued, every entry linked back to the pillar article justifying its inclusion.
- Power & Cost Calculator — Enter each device’s idle and load watts, hours per day at load, and your local rate. Outputs annual kWh, annual electricity cost, 3-year TCO, and savings vs a cloud equivalent. Shareable URL captures your full setup.
- NAS & RAID Storage Calculator — Select your RAID level, enter drive count and capacity per drive, and see usable space, parity overhead, and failure tolerance instantly. Comparison table shows all RAID levels side-by-side for your drive count. Shareable URL.
- UPS Runtime Calculator — Enter your system load and UPS VA/watt rating to get an estimated runtime in minutes. Shows load percentage, headroom, a runtime-at-load table, and which CyberPower models fit your runtime target. Shareable URL.
- Proxmox VM Capacity Planner — Enter host RAM, CPU cores, ZFS ARC allocation, and vCPU overcommit ratio. See how many VMs or LXC containers your server can run, what the binding constraint is, and a comparison table across VM profile types. Shareable URL.
- Self-Hosting Break-Even Calculator — Add your SaaS subscriptions, set your hardware cost and electricity rate, and see exactly when self-hosting pays for itself. 5-year timeline, year-by-year savings table, preset subscriptions. Shareable URL.
- Docker Homelab RAM Planner — Select the self-hosted apps you want to run (Jellyfin, Nextcloud AIO, Immich, n8n, Grafana, and more) and see idle vs. peak RAM totals with host sizing recommendations. Shareable URL.
- PSU Wattage Calculator — Select your CPU, GPU, storage drives, cooling, and other components to see peak system draw, minimum recommended PSU wattage, the efficiency sweet spot, and a per-size comparison table. Includes RTX 50 series, RX 9000 series, and Ryzen 9000/7000 series. Shareable URL.
Have a tool you’d like to see built? Email hello@techfuelhq.com.
Last updated: 2026-06-13.
Tools
Subnet & CIDR Calculator: IP Ranges, Masks, Hosts
Enter an IPv4 address and CIDR prefix to get the network, broadcast, usable host range, subnet mask, wildcard, and host count — plus split a block into subnets.
ToolSSD Endurance Calculator: How Long Will Your SSD Last?
Estimate your SSD or NVMe lifespan from TBW or DWPD, daily writes, and write amplification. Built for homelab, Proxmox/ZFS, and NVR write loads.
ToolPoE Power Budget Calculator: Will Your Switch Power It All?
Size a PoE switch for your APs, cameras, and phones. Add devices, cable length, and headroom to get the budget to buy — plus an 802.3af/at/bt reference.
ToolLocal LLM Speed Calculator: Estimate Tokens per Second
Estimate local LLM generation speed (tokens/sec) from your GPU bandwidth, model size, and quantization — the memory-bandwidth math behind real inference.
ToolFrigate NVR Storage Calculator
Estimate disk space for a Frigate NVR by cameras, resolution, codec, and retention — plus the /dev/shm size Frigate needs. Continuous vs motion compared.
GuideNetwork Transfer Time Calculator
Estimate how long moving your data takes: pick size, link (1/2.5/10GbE, USB, Thunderbolt), and drive speed to see transfer time and your real bottleneck.
GuideLLM VRAM Calculator
Find which local AI models fit your GPU: pick card, model size, quantization, and context length to estimate VRAM (weights + KV cache) and which quant fits.
GuidePSU Wattage Calculator
Find the right power supply for your build. Pick your CPU, GPU, storage, and parts to see peak system draw, recommended PSU wattage, and headroom at each tier.
ToolPC Builder: Parts Picker with Compatibility Checks
Interactive PC build picker with 2026 pricing, socket and chipset compatibility checks, PSU wattage validation, and case clearance. CC BY 4.0 parts dataset.
ToolSelf-Hosting Break-Even Calculator
Add your SaaS subscriptions, hardware budget, and electricity rate to see exactly when self-hosting pays for itself, month by month, over a 5-year projection.
ToolProxmox VM Capacity Planner
Enter host RAM, CPU cores, and VM profile to see how many VMs or LXC containers your Proxmox server can run, with ZFS ARC overhead included.
ToolDocker Homelab RAM Planner
Calculate total RAM for your self-hosted Docker stack. Pick apps like Jellyfin, Nextcloud, Immich, n8n, and Home Assistant to see idle vs peak use and sizing.
ToolHomelab + PC Build Budget Builder
Sort GPUs, NAS, and networking gear by your budget and what you actually need. Real 2026 prices, real watt draw, honest verdicts.
ToolNAS & RAID Storage Calculator
Calculate usable space, redundancy, and drive overhead for RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, and ZFS RAIDZ1/2/3. Enter drives and capacity to compare levels side by side.
ToolUPS Runtime Calculator
Enter your system load and UPS rating to estimate runtime in minutes. See if your UPS can handle a graceful shutdown and which models fit your target.
ToolHomelab Power & Cost Calculator
Calculate your homelab's annual electricity cost, 3-year TCO, and savings vs cloud. Enter each device's idle and load watts, hours per day, and your rate.