7 Gamers, 1 CPU - Ultimate Virtualized Gaming Build Log

[turkish rambo]

Here is my keyboard that would have been the perfect match for this build! 

 

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44120.msg940466#msg940466

 

 

 

 

 

[sl1pkn07]

You can share the XML or script of libvirt/qemu you used?

 

Greetings

[scheduleX]

what software is be used to virtualise 7 machines with full GPU support?

[Deathroned]

what software is be used to virtualise 7 machines with full GPU support?

Limetech unraidr, pm limetech john on same thread,

[Yffulf]

Made account just to point this out. Video has been re-upped on http://www.snotr.com/video/16669/30000__Gaming_Rig

 

Figured something should know about that. They don't even link back to here or the youtube accounts.

[DaveBG]

I always thought of unraid to be something like software raid or storage OS like FreeNAS but this adds a whole new dimension to it. I know Free NAS has jails and such for virtualization but this seems more like Vmware or Citrix now!

Amazing what can be done. Can you do similar with FreeNAS or this pass trough of hardware is specific to unraid?

[aw_]

I always thought of unraid to be something like software raid or storage OS like FreeNAS but this adds a whole new dimension to it. I know Free NAS has jails and such for virtualization but this seems more like Vmware or Citrix now!

Amazing what can be done. Can you do similar with FreeNAS or this pass trough of hardware is specific to unraid?

 

It's specific to Linux, FreeNAS is based on FreeBSD so this particular technology (KVM & VFIO) is not available there.  You can do this on any Linux distribution though.

[Hoppa]

You guys should use it for folding@home for 24hrs and see how many points you get.

[Kaffien]

What hypervisor / virtualization software are you using for all of this?

[limetechjon]

What hypervisor / virtualization software are you using for all of this?

Qemu/KVM is the emulator/hypervisor we are using.

[mosin40]

I guess @LinusTech broke the internet: 

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/49532/linustechtips-builds-30-000-gaming-pc-runs-7-setups-once/index.html

http://9gag.com/tv/p/aW4qxk/30-000-gaming-pc-7-gamers-1-cpu?ref=cl

[lkarej]

I guess @LinusTech broke the internet: 

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/49532/linustechtips-builds-30-000-gaming-pc-runs-7-setups-once/index.html

http://9gag.com/tv/p/aW4qxk/30-000-gaming-pc-7-gamers-1-cpu?ref=cl

 

Yeah I saw it posted a lot of places :^)

 

Good for Linus I guess. Lots of publicity.

[mynameajeff]

I guess @LinusTech broke the internet: 

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/49532/linustechtips-builds-30-000-gaming-pc-runs-7-setups-once/index.html

http://9gag.com/tv/p/aW4qxk/30-000-gaming-pc-7-gamers-1-cpu?ref=cl

Le 9gag

[Dingo1989]

love this pc.  I will be using this idea for my community gaming center.  thanks for the inspiration.

[Nonpetable]

i would like to see   what you could do with  a   2 cpu mother board  and 2  xeon 5550's  i think this setup would be able to play 2-3 gamers  on teh super cheap cause the chips are  20usd each and  very nice chips.   or even two 5660 xeons  i would be very interested in  this build

[azurezeed]

Wow 1 more million views than the 2 gamers 1 CPU video, why?

[limetechjon]

Wow 1 more million views than the 2 gamers 1 CPU video, why?

Apparently you haven't seen Spinal Tap:

https://youtu.be/KOO5S4vxi0o

[azurezeed]

Apparently you haven't seen Spinal Tap:https://youtu.be/KOO5S4vxi0o

No...

I have

[cferns1]

@LinusTech can I still build this kind of machine with lower end xeon(s) CPUs, 4 ssds and 4 gpus?

 

Only that I don't have that many friends willing to build something like this with me or a $30000 budget 

[madirk]

The claim that one can not fit better graphics cards in single slot is not true. I converted the highest end cards, Titan X, into single slot by cutting out the DVI ports and then fitted them together with backplates using Aquacomputer waterblocks which are sufficiently thin. I did experiment with two cards but 7 cards would not be a problem. You can see picture here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1521334/lightbox/post/24755084/id/2673494

On the right two Titans where there can be seen copper blocks and black backplates, on the left one GTX 970 which I just happened to have.

[MrSuperb]

@LinusTech ... well you made it into international press with this one

[MrRaggs]

This is pretty amazing, just wondering how you have 7 keyboards / mice hooked to this machine. have a pretty decent build myself and want to have a keyboard and mouse in my living room and in my office with monitors hooked to this can be used simultaneously.

[limetechjon]

The claim that one can not fit better graphics cards in single slot is not true. I converted the highest end cards, Titan X, into single slot by cutting out the DVI ports and then fitted them together with backplates using Aquacomputer waterblocks which are sufficiently thin. I did experiment with two cards but 7 cards would not be a problem. You can see picture here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1521334/lightbox/post/24755084/id/2673494

On the right two Titans where there can be seen copper blocks and black backplates, on the left one GTX 970 which I just happened to have.

Ok, that is true but there are three issues with that:

1 - didn't want to physically damage the cards we were adding to make them fit

2 - reaching the pcie locks would be neigh impossible with the full length of the cards

3 - 7 GTX titans would require far too much power to supply through a single PSU

So yes, fitting a full length / height card in a single slot is possible, but for this project, there were other reasons that wouldn't have worked, as indicated above.

[limetechjon]

This is pretty amazing, just wondering how you have 7 keyboards / mice hooked to this machine. have a pretty decent build myself and want to have a keyboard and mouse in my living room and in my office with monitors hooked to this can be used simultaneously.

Not sure what you mean by "how." They are all USB if that's what you meant.

[madirk]

Ok, that is true but there are three issues with that:

1 - didn't want to physically damage the cards we were adding to make them fit

2 - reaching the pcie locks would be neigh impossible with the full length of the cards

3 - 7 GTX titans would require far too much power to supply through a single PSU

So yes, fitting a full length / height card in a single slot is possible, but for this project, there were other reasons that wouldn't have worked, as indicated above.

 

You are right about these problems. I was only referring to the possibility of inserting single slot cards with backplates which was claimed impossible. This is possible at least with the Aquacomputer waterblocks which are sufficiently thin to fit together with backplates. I managed to prove this with two Titan X cards and it is working fine.

 

Regarding the issues you raise they are real but not insurmountable. In fact my system was thought to be a step towards making a rig with 7 or more cards, not for gaming but for heavy GPU computing where high-end cards are needed. A block with 7 high-end watercooled cards can be definitely installed but if that would be vertical PC install the cards should have additional support in the back due to significant weight of such block. Regarding the PCIe locks I see solution in two ways: making thin narrow metallic sheet which could inserted underneath all cards and open all the locks by pushing. Another possibility is to take a stiff wire with end bent 90 deg, this wire could be inserted between the backplate and waterblock of next card (there is sufficient space), turned by 90 degree and pulled.

 

About the power supply, I know the problem since I am running my two Titan Xes heavily overclocked (BIOS mod, 1505 MHz at the moment). Total system power consumption is then 850+ W at peaks when running benchmarks which means 350+ W peak for each card. For 7 cards that would be 2,3 kW of power. Problem with such power supply can be solved either with server- level power supply which is big and noisy or by connecting two smaller power supplies with simulataneous on-off switch - this is not ideal solution but it was shown working. 

 

There are of course server solutions (e.g. Supermicro) working with 8 high-end graphics cards.

 

I am still planning for the machine with 7 hig-end cards but at this point it is better to wait for Pascal cards which will be much much faster for the type of applications I am concerned.