Can you connect two computers together with a cable?

[BenestoTech]

Lol, topic is my question, just wondering. Could you do it with USB, and then play a game on one and use the second's power for the same game? Probably not, that would be like über SLI, but anyway, just wondering.

 

[Toxic Tom]

You can use an ethernet cable. Unfortunately USB ain't gonna work though. Oh and you can say goodbye to your uber sli dreams too lol.

[mr moose]

you're probably better of selling the second computer and buying more ram or a GPU or something to boost performance in your main pc.  But research first don't just grab the first part you can afford.

[IdeaStormer]

Your chance to create such a device! Its summer time and what better time to spend hours on a tech feature that's not there and make a few bucks, if it works. :mellow:

[Askew]

Hilariously this is possible with Xbox 360s, but not with PCs.

[wjdobie]

You'll need to Ethernet cables and some kind of Modem in between I believe - this is usually how I transfer things to a new PC, I just use an old router

Edit: not that this actually helps you in your particular situation sorry it's late...

[Nexus]

Firstly, just like everyone else is saying, yes its perfectly possible to connect two machines together. All you need to use is an ethernet cable. Just plug one end into the first machine and the other end into the other. 

 

Secondly, there is no games that currently support the idea of using both machines (not that im aware of). From a technical perspective it is possible (supercomputers are essentially just many machines connected together working in solving a problem) but it isnt really useful for gaming.

[TetraSky]

For what you're asking, no. There is game streaming, now available on Steam, which uses the power of 1 computer to stream the game to a lesser computer.

But you can't just magically connect 2 computers together to get like, double the performances.

 

If you want to transfer files, any router can help you with that, there's also a crossover ethernet cable if you know what you're doing and if you don't you can get something like this, which shares the internet of another PC, can transfer files and also doubles as a 2GB usb key on the go, all driverless. I own that little usb crosslink cable and it does work, really helpful, especially when you have no idea what the ethernet driver for a PC is, plug that in, get internet, go on a website like my-config.com and get all the answers.

[Nexus]

Hilariously this is possible with Xbox 360s, but not with PCs.

What are you talking about, ive never heard of this.

[DildorTheDecent]

You'll need to Ethernet cables and some kind of Modem in between I believe - this is usually how I transfer things to a new PC, I just use an old router

Edit: not that this actually helps you in your particular situation sorry it's late...

Is it easier than backing everything up?

[DildorTheDecent]

Hilariously this is possible with Xbox 360s, but not with PCs.

*runs off and buys Xbox 360s*

[Askew]

What are you talking about, ive never heard of this.

*runs off and buys Xbox 360s*

 

You don't believe me do you? Allow me to provide evidence.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB-zsjd1CLo

[DildorTheDecent]

You don't believe me do you? Allow me to provide evidence.

 

Holy Shizballs. 

Totally going to buy 3 360s now.

[IdeaStormer]

You don't believe me do you? Allow me to provide evidence.

 

 

What's with the lag? Should those two outside monitors be in sync? Otherwise it is a cool feature but rather useless if you want two people playing at the same time.

[mr moose]

Hilariously this is possible with Xbox 360s, but not with PCs.

 

It's just a shame that by the time you buy 3 xbox's the equivalent money could buy a pc that'd do similar.

[Tygron]

You don't believe me do you? Allow me to provide evidence.

 

three 360's running three copies of Forza, hooked together through ethernet to be controlled by the one Xbox to play one game with three screens. Basically each Xbox is rendering it's own screen and running off the game in the drive. It's just being linked together to work as one. Not the same thing really.

[Askew]

It's just a shame that by the time you buy 3 xbox's the equivalent money could buy a pc that'd do similar.

 

Apart from play Forza

[mr moose]

Apart from play Forza

touche. :lol:

[Askew]

three 360's running three copies of Forza, hooked together through ethernet to be controlled by the one Xbox to play one game with three screens. Basically each Xbox is rendering it's own screen and running off the game in the drive. It's just being linked together to work as one. Not the same thing really.

 

Technically true of course you are right, but this is still a widely unknown novelty.

[Nexus]

You don't believe me do you? Allow me to provide evidence.

 

Honestly i was skeptical. Its an cool feat of software engineering really, shame you have to buy three copies of the game though, that seems just a little unfair.

[Askew]

Honestly i was skeptical. Its an cool feat of software engineering really, shame you have to buy three copies of the game though, that seems just a little unfair.

 

Yeah they should do something like allow people to buy the game once digitally and let it install on 3 systems for this purpose and execute from the signed in console.

[Nexus]

--snip--

No need to be so sarcastic, some people are new to IT. Instead of being a twat you should try and help them.

[gergy008]

You'll need to Ethernet cables and some kind of Modem in between I believe - this is usually how I transfer things to a new PC, I just use an old router

Edit: not that this actually helps you in your particular situation sorry it's late...

 

Actually you can use a cross-over ethernet cable for this, works without the router. Some configuration is required, however.

[beau]

Lol, topic is my question, just wondering. Could you do it with USB, and then play a game on one and use the second's power for the same game? Probably not, that would be like über SLI, but anyway, just wondering.

 

It's called a cross-over cable, not to be confused by the term 'Ethernet,' which means both 'cross-over' and 'straight through'

Crossover means some of the Rx (receive) and Tx (transmit) are 'crossed over'

[eldergeek]

No need to be so sarcastic, some people are new to IT. Instead of being a twat you should try and help them.

 

Funny. A lecture on not being a twat from a scot - I'd kind of thought it was in your country's DNA by now. Networking is rudimentary. Lesson one in secondary school IT for the past 15 to 20 years now. Period. I realise that up in the north you're probably still rubbing sticks together like barbarians, but the rest of us have advanced a little more.