I designed my perfect gaming PC, then threw it away

[AdamFromLTT]

Linus' Gaming PC just got a lot smaller. But not SFF smaller. We're talking 1U server rack small. But downsizing has introduced some complications....
 

 

[martenjacobs]

I'm wondering if you ever checked out this case, or others from this manufacturer: https://www.inter-tech.de/productdetails-152/1U-10265_EN.html

I have the 2U version of it and it's really (well; sort of) cheap and pretty cool.

[Alvin853]

Suggestion for next update: The internal 19pin USB3-connector is designed for 2 ports. The case only has 1 port in the front panel. So you could totally split off the 2nd port to the USB-extender and have it wired entirely internal instead of having to route a cable out the back to the I/O panel.

[FeroxFoxxo]

Video isn't on floatplane yet, not sure why that is :P

[Nystemy]

I can't help but think that the USB/fiber dock should have used the internal USB 3 header. Would have been a cleaner solution, and I am not usually one to be finicky about cable management...

Though, that ASRock motherboard had 3 OCulink connectors, would be fun to see whacky PCIe setups using such someday. Like it is a practical connection for smaller motherboards where one still wants tons of IO. A feature that could be quite useful to see on more high end consumer motherboards in general to be honest. Rather that than just wasting PCIe lanes into thin air on more compact boards that otherwise can't find a use for the lanes.

[LapsedMemory]

29 minutes ago, FeroxFoxxo said:

Video isn't on floatplane yet, not sure why that is

Usually, it's because they have a problem with the upload somehow.  If this goes on much longer, I may actually have to watch it on Youtube. THE HORROR!

[Velcade]

You swapped out the $600 10gig motherboard because it was too expensive in favor for a $100 motherboard and a $550 m.2 10gig adapter.   Why tho...

[doublepwn]

Is there a link to the server chassis they used?

[CerealExperimentsLain]

I'm a fan of those Silverstone starters for HDTVs for media and couch gaming since 'Start On USB' is pretty rare on most mobos.  Really an underated part.

 

[Catzzye]

Temporary solutions always end up becoming the permanent ones

[RavensWolF]

The starting the pc up part reminded me of how we IT people love to overcomplicate things, why not just use Wake-on-LAN ?

some z-wave / zigbee buttons in the lan center could trigger an automation that sends a WOL package to the right machine.

[bhop_monster_jam]

If the point was to remove the pc from the same space as the user why did it matter to put quieter fans in there

 

Edit: I guess it was for when it was still a temporary test 

[IanSzot]

I wonder how long will it take until Linus decides to say fuck it and port all of that setup into a Supermicro blades servers, the newer ones even already come with watercooling stuff already installed

[darknessblade]

Finally Linus discovers the joy of right angle usb/pc adapters

[swimtome]

1 hour ago, RavensWolF said:

The starting the pc up part reminded me of how we IT people love to overcomplicate things, why not just use Wake-on-LAN ?

some z-wave / zigbee buttons in the lan center could trigger an automation that sends a WOL package to the right machine.

WOL downsides:

1. Can be finicky depending on network / motherboard / BIOS.
2. Must have some sort of server up to send the packet, with remote access to that server.
3. A secondary setup to turn on the 'wol server' in an emergency.
4. WOL can't reboot a frozen computer nor wake a sleeping one.
5. WOL doesnt solve out-of-network access either.  (Granted Linus's solution here doesnt either, but a lot of the other solutions would).
6. You need to track the MAC Addresses of computers
7. If it matters for your setup, no inherit security possible.
8. It seems often if the router is rebooted then a new graceful shutdown is needed for WOL to work again.

I agree that we complicate things but it's a fine line deciding what's worth complicating and what's not.  Personally I'm with Linus here.  If it was 1 computer then big deal.  He has 7? in the server room, no way WOL will scale well for him.  

[thejevans]

3 hours ago, Velcade said:

You swapped out the $600 10gig motherboard because it was too expensive in favor for a $100 motherboard and a $550 m.2 10gig adapter.   Why tho...

Pricing for this thing is all over the map, but here it is for $175: https://www.wdlsystems.com/Innodisk-EGPL-T101-M.2-2280-to-single-10GbE-LAN-Module-0C-to-55C

 

Jeff Geerling got his from there, so likely reputable enough.

 

EDIT:

 

Quote

*Available while supplies last due to discontinued IC

 

[nhand42]

I don't see the point in these "racked" gaming PCs. Not yet anyway. Maybe when streaming over the network gets good (it's not good yet). Until then you can get a SFF PC with discrete GPU or even a mini-PC with an APU and it'll play games just fine. You can get a Ryzen 9 7940HS mini PC and it's the same size as a cheese sandwich.

 

I get that it's entertainment in the same vein as the over-the-top cooling rigs or that industrial fan you had last week. But this one has me scratching my head. Why?

[WeeemRCB]

Suggestion for remote start and shutdown .... as you have Home Assistant, use it (triggered by a zigbee or Wifi button) to send magic packet to power on.

To switch it off is pretty easy too. Just needs an addon (RPC Shutdown) to power the machine off and a local admin account on the PC for HomeAssistant to use.

 

To set it up - follow the steps in this vid (8mins 28s) 

 

[Ender357]

I think if you have racked gear, servers or otherwise then a racked gaming PC makes a lot of sense since you get to put it all together in one place if you plan it right.
With how Linus does it then it still makes sense and works, but there are clear tradeoffs and notable issues.


I know that they've said in the past making cases is tenuous at best, but it'd be cool to see them make airflow and noise focused rack mounted cases, something modular that can be adapted to accommodate different sized hardware be it consumer or enterprise.

[Shin-Gouki]

Love the Galaxian Coleco Mini Arcade Machine!

[05032-Mendicant-Bias]

6 hours ago, nhand42 said:

I don't see the point in these "racked" gaming PCs. Not yet anyway.

If you are in an hotter climate, you can dump the noise and heat somewhere that is not your room.

[Ultraforce]

18 hours ago, LapsedMemory said:

Usually, it's because they have a problem with the upload somehow.  If this goes on much longer, I may actually have to watch it on Youtube. THE HORROR!

August 7th was a provincial holiday so  people would generally be off and if the automatic releasing of the video messed up it would take a bit to deal with is my guess.

[Ultraforce]

11 hours ago, nhand42 said:

I don't see the point in these "racked" gaming PCs. Not yet anyway. Maybe when streaming over the network gets good (it's not good yet). Until then you can get a SFF PC with discrete GPU or even a mini-PC with an APU and it'll play games just fine. You can get a Ryzen 9 7940HS mini PC and it's the same size as a cheese sandwich.

 

I get that it's entertainment in the same vein as the over-the-top cooling rigs or that industrial fan you had last week. But this one has me scratching my head. Why?

When he first rack mounted his pc he lived in a house without central cooling and similar to the other Linus he prefers the computer to be silent. So moving to a separate room is a solution. As for rack vs tower some elements of maintenance that are easier and allows for consolidation/space efficency with router, switch and similar equipment

[ToboRobot]

11 hours ago, nhand42 said:

I don't see the point in these "racked" gaming PCs.

 

If you have multiple high powered PCs in the same room, it can get hot and loud.  Heck, one computer can make a room hot and can be loud.

So if you can move computers out of the room you are occupying, then that room is less noisy and not as hot. 

Heat and noise is the point.  And content!  Glorious rack content. 

I have two desktops next to my desk, and if I had room and money, I would be doing the same.

[nhand42]

7 hours ago, ToboRobot said:

So if you can move computers out of the room you are occupying, then that room is less noisy and not as hot.

No I get the concept. I'm saying I don't get the point. It would be like having an Audi R8 V10 and thinking "I really don't like how loud this V10 engine is" so you attach a box trailer to your car, relocate the V10 to the back of the box trailer, then run electric cords to an EV swap engine in the Audi. "Hey this is really quiet now" but I don't see the point of doing all that for a compromised half-assed car with poor handling.

 

You could just get a car with a smaller engine.