NeonBlizzard

With the method I am using in testing (found on levelonetechs forum), I pass individual devices. For example, passing the 980 requires passing both the GPU and the HD Audio controller. Using the IOMMU group enumeration and device hardware IDs I can force the Kernel to load the VFIO driver for any specific device for pass through. The GPU in my testing would defintely be using CPU lanes, as it would in the propsed config. The SSD and USB expansion would be from the chipset I beleive. Unsure how this would effect performance. Noticablely? If performance is better than using a Virtual Disk then I would still consider it a win.

I have quite a bit of hardware across multiple machines and I would like to combine the hardware into one workstation. My concern is whether this configuration will work regarding PCI Lanes available to the CPU and Chipset. I will start with a rundown of the configuration in my mind and then look at the configuration in relation to PCI Lanes. * CPU: i9 9900k (+16 PCI Lanes) * Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximum IX Code (+24 PCI Lanes from Chipset) * RAM: 64GB GSkill Trident Z * GPU1: ASUS Strix 2080Ti * GPU2: ASUS Strix 980 * SSD1: 1TB Samsung NVME * SSD2: 500GB Samsung NVME * HDD1: 8TB IronWolf NAS Drive * HDD2: 8TB IronWolf NAS Drive * NIC: ASUS 10Gbe (Aquantia) Card * USB Expansion: Generic 4 Port USB 3.0 Card * PSU: 1000W Corsair I have all the hardware already, I just do not want to start tearing apart my existing machines until I am sure it will fuction. From the CPU and chipset I have 40 lanes available. But from what I have read, the CPU will supply either 16x to one GPU, 8x+8x to the 2 GPUs or 8x+4x+4x to the GPU1, GPU2 (or the other SSD?) and NVME storage respectively with the chipset covering "other devices" what ever that means. If the GPUs and SSDs must get their lanes from the CPU directly rather than the chipset, then this configuration will not work (Should have gone Threadripper!). The idea with this configuration is that I can run my Linux flavor of choice as the main OS, with Windows installed to the 500GB NVME SSD, which can be loaded into through a VM with the GPU, the USB expansion and the motherboard NIC passed through (have tested this on my spare machine and it works a treat!). The IronWolfs I am thinking of configuring using ZFS for redundant bulk storage, but I need to look into that more (and how to pass this to the Windows VM!). I would also like the 2080ti at least to operate off a 16x lane as that will be the main workhorse in Linux. The 980 can limp on 8x if possible of the chipset for work in Windows on the TWO program suites I need it for (Autodesk and Creative Cloud!) and then 4x for each SSD, 4x for the 10GBe NIC and 4x for the USB expansion, using a total of: 16x for GPU1 (All 16 lanes from CPU), x8 for GPU2, x4 SSD1, x4 SSD2, x4 NIC, x4 USB Exp. (24 Lanes from Chipset). To summarise my questions: Is this configuration possible? Is 16x required for GPU1 (workloads inc. rendering in software like Blender and simulations software). Can only find gaming comparisons which is not useful as gaming does not saturate the 8x link, but does intensive workloads? If GPU1 runs at 8x with no expected loss of performance, is the configuration possible (CPU 8x+8x)? I ideally do not want to buy *more* hardware, so if it is not possible, I will keep my machines separate, my desk is 50% covered in computer chassis and the other 50% in monitors!

Finally got around to using my old desktop hardware to put together a nice little HTPC for my home theater. Specs of the PC: Intel Core i7 7700k @ stock clocks (have a low profile CPU cooler so don't want to push it like I did when it was in my desktop rig, didn't realise just how big the GD10 was, could have got something beefier) ASUS Strix Z270-E Motherboard ASUS Strix 980 4GB 32GB HyperX Fury 2400Mhz RAM Corsair AX860 PSU All wrapped up in a Silverstone Grandia GD10. And the TV in question is a LG C7 55" OLED. Running certain resolutions causes graphical issues such as little green dots (I guess small groups or even individual pixels). Kind of sprinkling over the screen. Not very dense but noticeable - especially against the solid black background. Also when this is happening, the display will often drop out, then return. And eventually drop out again. I thought perhaps I was using an older HDMI spec cable (was one I had laying around) and used one from my Xbox One X. (Note that I have a PS4 Pro and Xbox One X and both work flawlessly. 4k HDR and I have used my current desktop w/ 2080ti before just to see how well I could run 4k and there were no issues). Even with the for sure higher bandwidth cable, the same issues happen. The ONLY resolutions that appear to work correctly without any issues are: 1080p120 2160p30 All other resolutions I have tried, including lower resolutions give the above issue. For example, 1080p60, 1440p60 and 2160p60 have the issue. Even 800x600! Occasionally when switching to one of these resolutions, the display just drops out entirely, only to return when it restores itself to one of the above functional resolutions. Note that ALL of these resolutions function the same whether HDR is on or not. Prefer to have HDR on however, kind of the point of the OLED. Now it doesn't make sense to me why 1080p120 works fine but 1080p60 does not - I mean, I don't want 60Hz over 120Hz but the not working just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Any troubleshooting tips for either the PC or the TV?

I'd like to see more reviews on dedicated mobile workstations - laptops with workstation grade hardware like Quadros and Xeons for example. Example products: Lenovo P1 Dell Precision 5530 HP ZBook 15 G5 All these are pretty similarly specced laptops. The Lenovo P1 is using the same chassis as the X1 Carbon Extreme which has been reviewed before. So rather than doing individual reviews to differentiate from that, a roundup video comparing the laptops with a focus on workloads that utilize the hardware. I would like to see a focus on things like which laptop has the best thermal management solution.