One PC separate rooms.

[Wasko517]

Not sure where to post this but it is a niche thing that many people may not need.

 

I just purchased a new PC, interesting part is its for two people, one a kitchen designer, the other a gamer.

 

Computer room is currently in the basement and the future professional office will be upstairs on the first floor.

 

My goal/plan is to have two users one PC but in completely different parts of the house.

 

Setup one will have a normal setup and the other will be connected via the fiber thunderbolt cable showcased on one of the Linus youtube videos.

 

What I understand that I need will be as follows:

- ASUS Thunderbolt EX4 card

- Corning fiber thunderbolt 4 cable

- Thunderbolt dock

- Monitor and peripherals.

 

Now will this work?  If it does what kind of problems could I run into with two full setups in different rooms on one pc.  We will not be utilizing this at the same time so that is not an issue.  Any advice on how to make this work or other options would be greatly appreciated.

[Needfuldoer]

15 minutes ago, Wasko517 said:

We will not be utilizing this at the same time

You won't, until you do. The need's going to come up eventually.

 

For the price of that Thunderbolt card and cable, you could buy a new basic PC (or a nice off-lease office PC). I think you're better off doing that.

 

Besides, two separate PCs gives you the possibility to play multiplayer games together. One single PC does not.

[Wasko517]

12 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

You won't, until you do. The need's going to come up eventually.

 

For the price of that Thunderbolt card and cable, you could buy a new basic PC (or a nice off-lease office PC). I think you're better off doing that.

 

Besides, two separate PCs gives you the possibility to play multiplayer games together. One single PC does not.

Wife is not a gamer and we are on separate shifts.  I have my old PC which has 1070 and i5 that i can play on if that does occur.

[lafrente]

That's just a headache. If your wife isn't a gamer give her your old one and build yourself a gaming pc and forget all the hassle.

[Wasko517]

12 minutes ago, lafrente said:

That's just a headache. If your wife isn't a gamer give her your old one and build yourself a gaming pc and forget all the hassle.

Will it work?

[Needfuldoer]

18 minutes ago, Wasko517 said:

 I have my old PC which has 1070 and i5 that i can play on if that does occur.

Even better! Get a new SSD for it and do a clean Windows install. There's your wife's new office machine.

 

Maybe pick up a new case for it too, if the current case doesn't look "professional enough" and she expects to have clients visiting.

[lafrente]

11 minutes ago, Wasko517 said:

Will it work?

What do you mean? Even a 10 year old mid range gaming pc would easily handle all the office work easily. Turn off the RGB's, remove the stickers if unwanted, lower the fan speed and revert the OC and that's it.

[Moonzy]

My two cents:

If you're the type that have to ask about dual user setup, you're not gonna want to deal with the headaches that comes with it

 

Best if you stick to two individual PC

[tkitch]

3 hours ago, Wasko517 said:

What I understand that I need will be as follows:

- ASUS Thunderbolt EX4 card

- Corning fiber thunderbolt 4 cable

- Thunderbolt dock

- Monitor and peripherals.

 

Now will this work?  If it does what kind of problems could I run into with two full setups in different rooms on one pc.  We will not be utilizing this at the same time so that is not an issue.  Any advice on how to make this work or other options would be greatly appreciated.

If you're asking this question?

Technically:  Yes, it will work.

Realistically:  You're both gonna be pissed off at the headaches attached to it.

 

The amount of headache that having two separate PCs will save is ENORMOUS.  Go for 2 PCs and call it a day.

 

If you have that old i5/1070 rig?  If it's not in an ITX setup, you could think about getting an ITX Board, and putting it into a decent case so it's smaller for her.  

[Kisai]

7 hours ago, Wasko517 said:

Not sure where to post this but it is a niche thing that many people may not need.

 

I just purchased a new PC, interesting part is its for two people, one a kitchen designer, the other a gamer.

 

Computer room is currently in the basement and the future professional office will be upstairs on the first floor.

 

My goal/plan is to have two users one PC but in completely different parts of the house.

 

Setup one will have a normal setup and the other will be connected via the fiber thunderbolt cable showcased on one of the Linus youtube videos.

 

You should just buy a second computer. No consumer OS allows simultaneous use of the PC. Only server OS's permit this, and usually only via terminal services (eg windows terminal services, citrix) or virtual machines.

 

Option 1 "I don't need a second computer -yet-":

Utilize an ipad or some other "smart tv" type appliance as a Remote Desktop/VLC terminal to the computer. This will work, but works better on Mac's. Basically some kind of software KVM. Please note that the performance of this will be garbage.

 

Option 2 "KVM":

In this case you buy an appropriate KVM that connects to the HDMI/DP and USB to transmit the video, audio, and input. These are also often not appropriate for this use since "over IP" are just VLC. But wired ones rely on signal repeating, and is usually not very good. PC's can have two input devices (mouse and keyboard), and that will be fine, the main issue being how to transmit audio and video.

 

Overall the first two options are usually only viable for "machine is in the same room/neighboring room" and the KVM cables are usually proprietary. You're better off just getting long extension cables.

 

The hardware Linus used, is not what you think it is. 

 

Basically it's converting TB to Fiber and back. This is only really viable on a mac or a laptop. To use it on a Windows PC, requires having the desktop actually have TB and transmit DP over it, which is a bit of a crapshoot since often these TB cards are proprietary to the motherboard, and often don't support the necessary power requirements to drive USB-C PD.

 

Assuming you actually went through the trouble of doing this, fiber cable is fragile, it's glass, and the and are expensive. $500 for 15m.

 

I would suggest only going down this route where you have an absurdly expensive PC (eg a $100,000 one) to share. You're looking at spending $500 for 15m cable and another $500 for a TB docking station, which may not even support this configuration. Cheap docks don't actually transmit the video signal, they emulate a GPU in software (DisplayLink) and are limited to 1080p60. TB can do 4Kp60, but only one monitor can be driven by the dock.

 

Like to me, it's not worth the hassle over just buying a second computer.

 

[Yoinkerman]

If she doesn't game I would buy her a small PC that can mount to the monitor or something so it can be simple and clean.  Extending a PC over a house is a neat concept but in practice will likely just be an exercise in frustration

[dilpickle]

What everyone needs to understand about all these 1 PC 2 User videos is that they are purely made for YouTube views. They are not practical in any way.

 

Once the camera turns off no one is using them.

[rikitikitavi]

12 hours ago, Wasko517 said:

My goal/plan is to have two users one PC but in completely different parts of the house.

12 hours ago, Wasko517 said:

We will not be utilizing this at the same time so that is not an issue.

So as mentioned before, some solutions might be impractical, other require too much time, and of course there are costs.

 

However, there is a simple and free solution that you can try and see if it works for you or not - Parsec (https://parsec.app with free tier).

It is a remote desktop app that should give you a good idea. For best experience you will need to have all devices on the ethernet.

 

Gist:

- install host part on your FancyPC with Windows

- install client on pretty much any device w/ Win, Mac, Linux (includes Raspberry Pi and Android), or login through Chrome.

 

Tried only on macOS. Didn't work on iPad. ETA Prime (youtuber) shows gameplay on Raspbery Pi 3B+ (if not mistaken).

[Wasko517]

18 hours ago, lafrente said:

What do you mean? Even a 10 year old mid range gaming pc would easily handle all the office work easily. Turn off the RGB's, remove the stickers if unwanted, lower the fan speed and revert the OC and that's it.

Not that simple, its not just office work.  In these trying financial times… I attempted to build a PC we could both utilize in the meantime.

 

Attached are the recommended system requirements for the software she will be using.  I just get to reap the benefits of building a monster PC.

[Kisai]

12 minutes ago, Wasko517 said:

Not that simple, its not just office work.  In these trying financial times… I attempted to build a PC we could both utilize in the meantime.

 

Attached are the recommended system requirements for the software she will be using.  I just get to reap the benefits of building a monster PC.

That sounds like a CAD workstation.

[Wasko517]

2 minutes ago, Kisai said:

That sounds like a CAD workstation.

Yea basically.  Its that build but with a 3080ti. 

[Wasko517]

11 hours ago, Kisai said:

You should just buy a second computer. No consumer OS allows simultaneous use of the PC. Only server OS's permit this, and usually only via terminal services (eg windows terminal services, citrix) or virtual machines.

 

Option 1 "I don't need a second computer -yet-":

Utilize an ipad or some other "smart tv" type appliance as a Remote Desktop/VLC terminal to the computer. This will work, but works better on Mac's. Basically some kind of software KVM. Please note that the performance of this will be garbage.

 

Option 2 "KVM":

In this case you buy an appropriate KVM that connects to the HDMI/DP and USB to transmit the video, audio, and input. These are also often not appropriate for this use since "over IP" are just VLC. But wired ones rely on signal repeating, and is usually not very good. PC's can have two input devices (mouse and keyboard), and that will be fine, the main issue being how to transmit audio and video.

 

Overall the first two options are usually only viable for "machine is in the same room/neighboring room" and the KVM cables are usually proprietary. You're better off just getting long extension cables.

 

The hardware Linus used, is not what you think it is. 

 

Basically it's converting TB to Fiber and back. This is only really viable on a mac or a laptop. To use it on a Windows PC, requires having the desktop actually have TB and transmit DP over it, which is a bit of a crapshoot since often these TB cards are proprietary to the motherboard, and often don't support the necessary power requirements to drive USB-C PD.

 

Assuming you actually went through the trouble of doing this, fiber cable is fragile, it's glass, and the and are expensive. $500 for 15m.

 

I would suggest only going down this route where you have an absurdly expensive PC (eg a $100,000 one) to share. You're looking at spending $500 for 15m cable and another $500 for a TB docking station, which may not even support this configuration. Cheap docks don't actually transmit the video signal, they emulate a GPU in software (DisplayLink) and are limited to 1080p60. TB can do 4Kp60, but only one monitor can be driven by the dock.

 

Like to me, it's not worth the hassle over just buying a second computer.

 

So I’ve done some research and cost analysis on whats needed. 
 

-PRIME Z690-A Thunderbolt 4 header onboard already have.

 

-ASUS ThunderboltEX 4: Intel certified, can run 8k or 2 4k $119

 

-Corning TB3 cable 50’ $389

 

-CalDigit TS4 dock $360
 

Gist I’m getting is it will work but connecting a cable from point A-B is a headache.

[Kisai]

1 hour ago, Wasko517 said:

So I’ve done some research and cost analysis on whats needed. 
 

-PRIME Z690-A Thunderbolt 4 header onboard already have.

 

-ASUS ThunderboltEX 4: Intel certified, can run 8k or 2 4k $119

 

-Corning TB3 cable 50’ $389

 

-CalDigit TS4 dock $360
 

Gist I’m getting is it will work but connecting a cable from point A-B is a headache.

Yeah, that may work.

 

The thing you're going to run into is probably turning the dock on and off, since the docks assume they are powering the computer. From experience with TB docks, they are more finicky and require all the TB drivers to be installed on the host device before you even attempt to plug it in. If you plug it in first, Microsoft will install generic drivers for it and all the hardware it sees in the dock, thus making it harder to install the correct drivers.

 

From experience (with DELL docks), usually the audio is the hardest to make work since realtek's control panels are broken between the driver and windows store. 

 

I must still point out that you're spending around $800, which is the same as another computer without a GPU.  You may luck out and have this work as-expected, but again, these docks are intended for laptops, so you may have conflicts when the dock is plugged in that might not be an issue on a laptop.

 

The audio (as mentioned) is usually the one with the most contention, with often the dock's own audio preventing any USB audio device from being used. (no endpoints available.) Other issues you may run into could include drop-outs in the video if you connect any high-bandwidth USB devices to the dock.

 

[Wasko517]

1 hour ago, Kisai said:

Yeah, that may work.

 

The thing you're going to run into is probably turning the dock on and off, since the docks assume they are powering the computer. From experience with TB docks, they are more finicky and require all the TB drivers to be installed on the host device before you even attempt to plug it in. If you plug it in first, Microsoft will install generic drivers for it and all the hardware it sees in the dock, thus making it harder to install the correct drivers.

 

From experience (with DELL docks), usually the audio is the hardest to make work since realtek's control panels are broken between the driver and windows store. 

 

I must still point out that you're spending around $800, which is the same as another computer without a GPU.  You may luck out and have this work as-expected, but again, these docks are intended for laptops, so you may have conflicts when the dock is plugged in that might not be an issue on a laptop.

 

The audio (as mentioned) is usually the one with the most contention, with often the dock's own audio preventing any USB audio device from being used. (no endpoints available.) Other issues you may run into could include drop-outs in the video if you connect any high-bandwidth USB devices to the dock.

 

Awesome, I appreciate the information! Thats what I was looking for.

[lafrente]

3 hours ago, Wasko517 said:

Not that simple, its not just office work.  In these trying financial times… I attempted to build a PC we could both utilize in the meantime.

 

Attached are the recommended system requirements for the software she will be using.  I just get to reap the benefits of building a monster PC.

 

You said "office work" do you know the meaning of office work?

 

Now I really wanna know what software that is that requires literally the top tier GPU that's barely out and is out of stock.

[Wasko517]

1 hour ago, lafrente said:

You said "office work" do you know the meaning of office work?

 

Now I really wanna know what software that is that requires literally the top tier GPU that's barely out and is out of stock.

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/known-incompatibilities.html
 

Recommends an i9 and a 3080 so I got a 3080ti instead.  Had it built through Digital Storm.

 

1 hour ago, Wasko517 said:

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/known-incompatibilities.html
 

Recommends an i9 and a 3080 so I got a 3080ti instead.  Had it built through Digital Storm.

In the original post I stated she is a kitchen designer.

 

1 hour ago, Wasko517 said:

In the original post I stated she is a kitchen designer.

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/sysreq.html
 

wrong link in other response

[lafrente]

15 minutes ago, Wasko517 said:

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/products/sysreq.html
 

wrong link in other response

These are minimum requirements which means it works with a GPU that has 2gb of VRAM.

 

They just listed the top tier equipment for their "recommended requirements". So it doesn't mean that it won't work properly with anything else. Go back a few months, this program still exists and there is no recommended hardware for it on the market. According to them of course.

 

 

[LogicalDrm]

*** Thread cleaned ***

 

If you don't want to help, don't post. Posting isn't mandatory on these forums, and becomes pointless if it isn't constructive or helpful. Same goes for any personal attacks, those won't help anyone either. Report any issues and let moderation handle the rest.

 

 @Wasko517, I've merged couple of your posts in this thread. Please used Edit feature in future if you make mistakes or want to add something.

[Needfuldoer]

15 hours ago, Kisai said:

Overall the first two options are usually only viable for "machine is in the same room/neighboring room" and the KVM cables are usually proprietary. You're better off just getting long extension cables.

KVM over UTP extenders could bring it 100 feet or more on a regular patch cable.

 

They're recommending a top-end video card because their software supports real-time ray tracing. If she's just doing renders, the 1070 machine should be fine. Install the trial version on it and take it for a test drive. 

 

[Wasko517]

1 minute ago, Needfuldoer said:

KVM over UTP extenders could bring it 100 feet or more on a regular patch cable.

 

They're recommending a top-end video card because their software supports real-time ray tracing. If she's just doing renders, the 1070 machine should be fine. Install the trial version on it and take it for a test drive. 

 

Cool thanks man, I'll give it a go.  I already built the monster PC.  Wanted to give her a better experience designing at home than she has at work.  

 

She will be doing the full shabang, I wanted her to have the real time Ray Tracing feature while designing.  I also selfishly wanted a monster gaming PC so 2 birds, one stone.  She just doesn't like my office style so trying to figure out a functional way to make that happen.  

 

Appreciate your help, I'll look into KVM as well as the TB4 over fibre.