First time building a GN And I Thought Vettes were fast!!

[GrndNatnl]

In other words, actual "boost" is only the amount of pressure (in psi) beyond what the cylinders would actually require or intake on their own at any given RPM. Might make that easier to understand.

 

[The Radius Kid]

Yup.That's actual pressure in the manifold.
What your engine actually gets is determined by:
Head flow
Exhaust flow
Inlet air density
Airflow distribution
You've probably heard the story about the guy who switches from stock heads to ported heads and gets the same boost,but more power?
He's breathing more airflow,but the engine detonates slightly sooner, at lower boost.
That's all due to increased airflow.