Building a Mega Computer/Server

PowerOfM · July 30, 2019

Hello LTT Forum!

I’ve been a long-time fan of LTT and the crazy projects they pull off. I particularly enjoyed the “X Gamers 1 CPU” series, and the success of the builds has inspired me to take on a slightly crazy project myself. Seeing how Linus always speaks so highly of the forum and the impressive know-how it contains, I was wondering if any of you could provide some feedback for this project idea.

Some Background

I work for a workplace design and architecture firm. While most of my colleagues are designers, I am a computer engineer who works on various digital projects that enhance the physical space. One of our core beliefs is that the workplace should be flexible. This means reconfigurable spaces, movable desks/tables, and no fixed workstations. As you can imagine, the last option proves tricky when trying to find laptops that support AutoCAD, Revit and other intense 3D apps while still being portable, comfortable to use, and not look like an “EPIC GAMER STATION”.

The Solution

The idea we arrived at was to create a pool of powerful desktops. Using “Remote Desktop” or some equivalent to Steam’s “In-Home Streaming”, users would be able to remotely access these desktops through their laptops to do high-power work within the office.

However, we didn’t just want a bunch of towers lying around. We are moving to an office that doesn’t have space to stack a bunch of towers, and having the towers at the tables would interfere with the whole “flexible office” deal. So, we came up with:

Project TRON

We would create a custom case that would house 6-10 beefy machines, which could serve up to 20 people. And instead of putting them off in some corner, the 5’x8’ case would become a centrepiece in the office, with a sexy design and installed flush with the wall. To add to the sex-factor (and to deal with the heat), we would water-cool the machines and implement a custom HVAC system to vent out hot air to a nearby window. We even envisioned RBG lighting that would change based on the workload or alert about issues.

Bringing the Vision to Reality

While I have built several of my own PCs, they’ve been with much cheaper parts and at a much smaller scale. I have tried my best to research different options and I believe I have a good part selection, but I would appreciate any feedback you can provide spec-wise. The current build for each computer module is: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/powerofm/saved/ycD7TW

I know that an RTX Quadro GPU might provide better professional graphics, but based on benchmarks available online, the RTX 2080 and even GTX 1080Ti seem to beat most Quadro cards for AutoCAD and Sketchup or at least provide comparable performance at a much lower price-point.

Questions

Based on your experience, do you believe this build will be suitable for a 3D-intensive workload?
Does it make sense to put multiple users on 1 CPU? Each video from LTT mentioned using UNRAID and having some hiccups in the setup process. Is this something that any of you have experience?
Is it reasonable to expect users would get a near-native experience while accessing these machines over WiFi? (We have Shaw-provided Cisco Meraki MR42, and still looking for a good network switch)
What is the best remote access tool for "streaming" the entire desktop to a laptop? Is Remote Desktop fast enough? Do you know how LTT achieved this in the past (i.e. 8/10 gamers 1 CPU)?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this massive post. I really appreciate any advice, comments, or suggestions you can provide!