One PC, 2 players on different floors. Is it possible?

[Kamunkin]

Hello everyone, I'm very sorry if I'm in the wrong section, I wasn't sure where to post because my question covers many aspects at the same time ;-; 

 

My boyfriend and I are moving in a new place soon and the place has 2 floors. My computer is gonna be upstair and his downstair, in the basement. His computer is a high end machine, but mine is quite old and I'm not yet ready to buy a new gaming rig. So we we're trying to figure out, how could we share his computer's performance without being side by side and without input lag? I don't want to have any delays when I click or type... I'm aware that Linus did a gaming rig for 2 gamers but it's not exactly what I'm looking for. Obviously, we're trying to find a solution to keep costs low. Additionnally, I really love the idea to hide all the cables and computers and keep it this way in the future. Here is our specs:

(We are from Canada)

 

My PC (basically):

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor 
Motherboard: Asus M4N75TD ATX AM3 Motherboard 
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory 
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card
Monitor: BenQ XL2720Z 27.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor

 

His PC:

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory 
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive 
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive 
Storage: Western Digital Blue 4TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

 

Our router: ASUS RT-AC66U Dual Band 3x3 802.11AC Gigabit Router

 

Sorry for the bad english ;-; 

[Cracklingice]

http://store.steampowered.com/streaming/
But I am not sure how the performance would be on an i5 trying to do that.
There's also this type of thing but again, I would thing an i7 would be minimum to run two game clients on one PC.

 

 

 

Ultimately I think the best option would be a Ryzen 7 CPU or maybe an intel HEDT (like X99) or dual xeon workstation with unraid like the 7 gamers 1 computer and having two 1070s if the end goal is to hide the computer in a closet somewhere.  Just be aware that you may need USB and/or HDMI repeaters for long runs.  I'm not sure if they would add latency (lag).

[Kamunkin]

buying a i7 is a possibility, but paying 30k, no. And before buying I would like to know that it would actually work and how to do it, which I don't.

[Cracklingice]

10 minutes ago, Kamunkin said:

buying a i7 is a possibility, but paying 30k, no. And before buying I would like to know that it would actually work and how to do it, which I don't.

Steam streaming should work well and be low maintenance and easy (but limited to only steam games).  Setting up unraid would be more of a project of love that would be technically challenging and probably have it's fair amount of issues.
Also it wouldn't cost 30,000.  Linus just does off the wall crazy more than is actually needed stuff for the fun of it (and youtube views).
The other option would be to just build another reasonable computer for a decent price.  Ryzen 5 would make a pretty good cheaper option, pair it with 8 or 16 gb of ddr4 ram and the GTX 970 you already have.  Heck, you can probably even reuse the case, PSU and storage devices from your current machine to keep the total price under 500. and have a good decent rig for 1080p.
Oh nevermind you have a 960.  Honestly I'd probably continue to run it.  It'd be strong enough for lower settings in 1080p.  Although if you felt like an 800 or so budget you may be able to add in a 1070.

[Cracklingice]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zx9km8

Obviously you're in canada so it would be a bit different in pricing so brands might change around.  The prices could also be a little bit cheaper, but I picked similar color parts for looks at a 20-30 dollar higher cost.  The cooler requires a separate bracket to be purchased from Cooler Master.   I couldn't remember if the 1500x came with the cooler or not.  I think it does and if that's the case it's my understanding it's a good cooler if you're not going to overclock so you could drop about 20-30 bucks that way.

800 total in US with a gtx 1070, without it 420 ish.

[Kamunkin]

The main problem is my CPU. It doesnt follow anymore... And I don't want to be limited to Steam's games. I play Blizzard's games, for instance. We we're thinking to upgrade his CPU, ditch the 960 in his computer with my SSD, and use his computer as my computer as well. We just don't know how to make all my peripherals work at such distance, including sound, without input lag. So I've been researching, and looking for a USB hub with a USB extension cable, but I've read that you can't just plug an extension with unlimited range with the hope it works. The signal is limited. So I've been reading further and it says that you have to get an active repeater USB cable. But still limitations. We're not sure how long we need, my guess is around... 20 meters, maybe 25 at most (we don't know if we can pass cable through the floor somewhere without making holes, so we'll propably have to pass by the stairs). So I've been lurking again, I've read about USB over Ethernet, but then I'm not sure how to make it work. Cornering USB optical cable seems really doing it, but too pricey (147$ CND for 10 meters)... Well I am no pro.

So I know that upgrading is the easiest thing to do, I could check out for around 500-550$ with a great PC that could last a while, but the challenge is null. 

[Cracklingice]

It could be done to put both of your games off his system but it would not be good as each of you would be gaming on dual cores (even if he upgraded to an i7, each would get an i3 virtual cpu) at that point so you'd pretty much both experience what you are on your computer now with your CPU bottleneck.  I suggest checking out that pcpartpicker I linked and after April 11th when the Ryzen 5 launches - see what it would cost you up there.  IMO it would be one of the best cost to performance options available to you.  You could also go with a system similar to his with an i5 but at current it would be more $.  Just remove the GPU from the list and use your 960 and you're at only 400 ish US so probably right in line with that 500-550 CAD you're looking for.

 

You could also get a used i5 2500k, mobo and ddr3 combo. That would cost you less than 300 CAD I'd hope.  http://www.ebay.ca/sch/Motherboard-CPU-Combos/131511/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=2500k&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=131511&LH_Sold=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=33990&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=2&_sop=15&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&LH_Complete=1
Though the Ryzen 5 quad core would probably be the better option.

[LUUD18]

I would just buy new parts for your computer. It gives much less headache. Think about these issues:

• What if one of you  moves out.
• What if he goes to a lan party or needs his pc somewhere else
• If you are gonna upgrade his pc who is gonna pay the parts and what happens if he doesnt want to share it anymore?

Also sharing an i5 with 2 people not is really something you want. You would want a Xeon or Ryzen for that.

 

Edit: Sorry I didn't see that you are a male and a female. I will edit my post.

[samcool55]

Honestly the i5 won't be enough for both of you.

What i would do is get a nice cooler like the CM 212 evo or CM 412S and OC the phenom.

At least if you aren't afraid of overclocking. And for now it's a good patch-up until you have money for a better rig

Also, make sure you have an AM4 compatible cooler, if you eventually end up going with ryzen you can take the cooler with you.

[IntMD]

10 hours ago, Kamunkin said:

-snip-

 

My PC (basically):

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor 
Motherboard: Asus M4N75TD ATX AM3 Motherboard 
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory 
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card
Monitor: BenQ XL2720Z 27.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor

 

-snip-

Do you actually have 1333 & 2400 in the same system or is that a typo, I would probably get rid of the 1333 and max out the speed on the 2400 as much as possible?

 

Also the cooler and overclocking the CPU a lot, like samcool said, until you can afford an i5 or ryzen or something of your own.

 

 

[Kamunkin]

12 hours ago, IntMD said:

Do you actually have 1333 & 2400 in the same system or is that a typo, I would probably get rid of the 1333 and max out the speed on the 2400 as much as possible?

I wasn't sure at the time I shared my system build here. But what Speccy says is this: 12,0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz (9-9-9-24). 

 

For an i5, I totally agree, but I have to upgrade the mobo and therefore RAM, am I right? Because my motherboard is too old?

 

I'm not an insane gamer. I used to be intense but I've moved on so I only play occasionally, but when I do, I want a great experience. I usually play Minecraft with tons of mods, PlanetSide 2, Starcraft 2, League of Legend, Heroes of the storm... I always wanted to use my 144hz monitor tho. Never could. 

 

Could I upgrade my PC for cheaper than 500$? I'm not looking for high end CPU, or the last gen. My AM3 does everything I need even today, but when playing games, it overheats very quickly and drop my fps dramatically in no time. So... with, lets say, 300 bucks CND, what could I possibly get to make me last a little longer with my current shitbox?

[sazrocks]

As others have said, that i5 isn't enough. It simply doesn't have the threads for two VMs + unRAID. 

 

As for your current system, if its overheating why not just grab a h100i or NHD-15 and maybe even overclock?

[SpaceGhostC2C]

As many have commented already on the hardware that can or can't pull that out, I will focus on the different rooms part: it will depend on the effective distance. You could simply wire everything upstairs, perhaps with some drilling, but some cables may reach their limits on the way, requiring repeaters to maintain the connection all the way to your seat.

If his motherboard has a Thunderbolt port, it could in potentially be used to take video and peripherals upstairs too, but it may be more expensive and it may not work with virtual machines (you would have to check that). Linus has a video on using this at home to hide his noisy PC somewhere else. Not sure whether this solution introduces input lag in games.

Going back to hardware, right now you could pretend to have 2 pentiums. Upgrading to an i7 would allow you to pretend you have 2 i3s. But you may need to leave some CPU to the underlying OS running the VMs, so it maybe worse than that.

All in all, it could be more cost-effective to upgrade your rig than to upgrade his + buy the necessary hardware to take video, sound, and controls upstairs.

 

Quote

Could I upgrade my PC for cheaper than 500$? I'm not looking for high end CPU, or the last gen. My AM3 does everything I need even today, but when playing games, it overheats very quickly and drop my fps dramatically in no time. So... with, lets say, 300 bucks CND, what could I possibly get to make me last a little longer with my current shitbox?

It could be a matter of re-seating the cooler or upgrading it, then. If even when cool enough (i.e., not throttling) it can't keep up, then you may consider a Haswell upgrade to re-use your RAM (I don't think you can improve much without changing the motherboard).

[Sauron]

People are ignoring the elephant in the room; you CAN'T split a graphics card in two. You can only do what the videos show if you have two graphics cards and dedicate one to each player, and in your case one would have to be the integrated gpu, which is pretty weak in comparison. So the main problem is not the i5, it's that unfortunately you physically cannot do what you are asking for.

 

Furthermore, while your pc is worse than his it's still faster than what you'd get if you could "split" his pc's performance in 2 exact parts (and let me reiterate that in your case it can't be done).

 

Your router is also not enough to let you stream across the floors with no input lag or quality loss.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

1 minute ago, Sauron said:

People are ignoring the elephant in the room; you CAN'T split a graphics card in two.

You can just move the GTX 960 to the main rig, though.

[Sauron]

Just now, SpaceGhostC2C said:

You can just move the GTX 960 to the main rig, though.

But then what would the point be? She already has a pc with a 960 in it

[SpaceGhostC2C]

Just now, Sauron said:

But then what would the point be? She already has a pc with a 960 in it

The answer is in the OP?

[Sauron]

1 minute ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

The answer is in the OP?

Well... no. She's hoping to get better performance from sharing her boyfriend's pc. Using the 960 would produce basically the same performance as her own pc anyway - on top of streaming and virtualization headaches.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

Just now, Sauron said:

Well... no. She's hoping to get better performance from sharing her boyfriend's pc. Using the 960 would produce basically the same performance as her own pc anyway - on top of streaming and virtualization headaches.

But OP says the CPU is the problem, it overheats, etc.

I agree that sharing the i5 is not going to improve over a properly working Phenom II, hence why I recommend solving checking the overheating first, and ultimately upgrading the worse rig if necessary.

So, I mostly agree with you, I was just pointing out that they do have two GPUs if needed 

[Kamunkin]

On 21/03/2017 at 8:28 PM, Kamunkin said:

The main problem is my CPU. It doesnt follow anymore... And I don't want to be limited to Steam's games. I play Blizzard's games, for instance. We we're thinking to upgrade his CPU, ditch the 960 in his computer with my SSD, and use his computer as my computer as well.

 

 

Anyway, it sums up everything. We would have tried. Thanks a lot guys. I'll buy a 212 EVO, and then I'll see. Its a great cooler and it could be used in a future build.

[Cracklingice]

On 3/22/2017 at 7:53 PM, Sauron said:

People are ignoring the elephant in the room; you CAN'T split a graphics card in two.

AMD Vega is hinting at virtualization so you probably can split those in two.
But it was never suggested to split his GPU in two - it was always a situation of could the 960 go in for two people.

 

 

[Sauron]

13 hours ago, Cracklingice said:

AMD Vega is hinting at virtualization so you probably can split those in two.
But it was never suggested to split his GPU in two - it was always a situation of could the 960 go in for two people.

And then what would she be using to stream the game to? Phenoms didn't have integrated gpus iirc

[Cracklingice]

4 minutes ago, Sauron said:

And then what would she be using to stream the game to? Phenoms didn't have integrated gpus iirc

Back then it was optionally on motherboard not on chip, but I wasn't saying that's what this situation called for, just that future GPUs may support such a thing.

[Sauron]

1 minute ago, Cracklingice said:

Back then it was optionally on motherboard not on chip, but I wasn't saying that's what this situation called for, just that future GPUs may support such a thing.

the motherboard she ahs does not have an integrated chip. so the question stands, if her 960 were to go in the i5 system, how would she be able to stream a game to her pc without a graphics card in it?

[Cracklingice]

Just now, Sauron said:

the motherboard she ahs does not have an integrated chip. so the question stands, if her 960 were to go in the i5 system, how would she be able to stream a game to her pc without a graphics card in it?

She wouldn't be because if the 960 went in the other system it would be two separate OS ran off one system with 2 mice, 2 keyboards, 2 monitors.