Build’s Name: Summer PC
Operating System/ Storage Platform: ESXi 6.0, 2x Windows 8.1, pfSense
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-1620 v2
Motherboard: AsrockRack EPC602D8A
Chassis: SilverStone Grandia GD10
Drives: 2x WD Xe 600Gb WD6001BKHG, 4x OCZ Agility 2 90Gb, 2x WD Se 2Tb WD2000F9YZ
RAM: 8x 4Gb ECC REG Parity Kingston KVR1333D3D8R9S/4G
Add-in Cards: LSI 9260CV-4I, TP-Link TL-WDN4800, 2x Radeon 6950, SilverStone SST-EC04 USB 3.0 Controller
Power Supply: Seasonic SS-1000XP
Other Bits: Probably will go into custom water cooling loop
Usage Profile: Standalone ESXi host with two GPU passed into two different VM for entertainment purposes.
Other information: I decide to start my own thread and do not litter in other people threads.
A bit more about usage profile: Every summer for last years i invite few my old friends to join me at vacation, i rent a house for few weeks for it. I have no real vacation for myself (my choice), so i am doing my job (wholesales) at vacation. All previous years i take my 17" notebook with me, but last time i decide to bring something more poweful (I'm going on vacation by car, so i am not really limited with items i can take with me). I will take two displays and this Summer PC with me so will be able to play something better than tablet games, and probably play something online together. All houses i rent before have WiFi, but router always placed in bad place, so i have to drop patch-cord thru whole house, or try to connect over WiFi. ESXi does not support any WiFi adapter and i decide to try pfSense VM with WiFi card passed into. Sirs from other thread told me it's possible to setup pfSense proper way to share WiFi internet over vitrual machines. I have NO expirience with pfSense, but i have two months before my vacation, so i will try at least. If i will have no luck with it - i just buy wireless AP for easy way (but one more box, few more wires, few more mess).
A bit more about hardware: As you may see many hardware is old. Yes, this PC will be build with a lot of old hardware i has. Like graphic cards (one 6950 i has before and second i just just bought from auction to use crossfire outside of summer vacation. This computer located in my living room and sometimes i play something at TV with xbox gamepad). I think at autumn i will upgrade my and my wife computers to 390X's, so my old 290X's will take it place in Summer PC, but at first i want to check how it work.
A bit more about cooling: As i wrote in header - i think to go custom water cooling loop. Today i passed some benchmarks to compare it with results i will get after pass GPU to VM. And pair of that 6950 is loud as hell. I imagine... vacation... evening... i start game, my friend start game... people around us begins to bleed from the ears...
I am custom watercooling fan, i have some spare parts left from my previous builds. Like 2x universal GPU blocks, 480mm radiator, reservoir, pack of fittings, tubes, coolant. Missed only Narrow-ILM waterblock and pump and some more fittings i do not have, but will need for that build. Also i bought Koolance 280mm shroud and at next week i will find someone to cut holes at case top to install it. I will have lack of cooling for area around CPU, LSI controller chip and videocard memory and VRM, because my GPU blocks is not "full cover".
A bit more about possible future of build: If i get good impressions with such VM i will probably build much better "Summer PC". Once i saw that small lady EPC612D4U-8R i decide what it's pretty good for more compact "Summer PC" build.
But some things i have to worry about:
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
UPDATE: And yes, i forgot to write. I have some expirience with GPU pass-thru for gaming in close past. This computer contain ESXi 6.0 and one VM with single 6950. Game work smooth and gamepad as well. But it was not so modern game, so i will try to test it with GTA 5 and something else. Sure 6950 is old, but at 1080p with default settings GTA 5 running at ~30fps on bare metal. I also test it with 3DMark11 and Metro Last Light benchmark. To compare later. I will try to bench something else next days.
PS Sorry for wall of text and my English which probably hard to read, it's not my native language and I'm a bad student.![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Operating System/ Storage Platform: ESXi 6.0, 2x Windows 8.1, pfSense
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-1620 v2
Motherboard: AsrockRack EPC602D8A
Chassis: SilverStone Grandia GD10
Drives: 2x WD Xe 600Gb WD6001BKHG, 4x OCZ Agility 2 90Gb, 2x WD Se 2Tb WD2000F9YZ
RAM: 8x 4Gb ECC REG Parity Kingston KVR1333D3D8R9S/4G
Add-in Cards: LSI 9260CV-4I, TP-Link TL-WDN4800, 2x Radeon 6950, SilverStone SST-EC04 USB 3.0 Controller
Power Supply: Seasonic SS-1000XP
Other Bits: Probably will go into custom water cooling loop
Usage Profile: Standalone ESXi host with two GPU passed into two different VM for entertainment purposes.
Other information: I decide to start my own thread and do not litter in other people threads.
A bit more about usage profile: Every summer for last years i invite few my old friends to join me at vacation, i rent a house for few weeks for it. I have no real vacation for myself (my choice), so i am doing my job (wholesales) at vacation. All previous years i take my 17" notebook with me, but last time i decide to bring something more poweful (I'm going on vacation by car, so i am not really limited with items i can take with me). I will take two displays and this Summer PC with me so will be able to play something better than tablet games, and probably play something online together. All houses i rent before have WiFi, but router always placed in bad place, so i have to drop patch-cord thru whole house, or try to connect over WiFi. ESXi does not support any WiFi adapter and i decide to try pfSense VM with WiFi card passed into. Sirs from other thread told me it's possible to setup pfSense proper way to share WiFi internet over vitrual machines. I have NO expirience with pfSense, but i have two months before my vacation, so i will try at least. If i will have no luck with it - i just buy wireless AP for easy way (but one more box, few more wires, few more mess).
A bit more about hardware: As you may see many hardware is old. Yes, this PC will be build with a lot of old hardware i has. Like graphic cards (one 6950 i has before and second i just just bought from auction to use crossfire outside of summer vacation. This computer located in my living room and sometimes i play something at TV with xbox gamepad). I think at autumn i will upgrade my and my wife computers to 390X's, so my old 290X's will take it place in Summer PC, but at first i want to check how it work.
A bit more about cooling: As i wrote in header - i think to go custom water cooling loop. Today i passed some benchmarks to compare it with results i will get after pass GPU to VM. And pair of that 6950 is loud as hell. I imagine... vacation... evening... i start game, my friend start game... people around us begins to bleed from the ears...
A bit more about possible future of build: If i get good impressions with such VM i will probably build much better "Summer PC". Once i saw that small lady EPC612D4U-8R i decide what it's pretty good for more compact "Summer PC" build.
But some things i have to worry about:
- Need two SINGLE SLOT graphic cards, which hard to get (it must be powerful as well, not just single slot which not hard to find). Sure it must be single slot with fullcover waterblock. But most cards at this moment have one or two of DVI ports and it's ruin single slot possiblities.
- Do i get enough USB ports to pass it for two VM to have enough ports to attach two keyboards, two mouses.
- I will have only one x8 slot left, how to use it? PCIe SSD? WiFi card? Raid card? USB card?
UPDATE: And yes, i forgot to write. I have some expirience with GPU pass-thru for gaming in close past. This computer contain ESXi 6.0 and one VM with single 6950. Game work smooth and gamepad as well. But it was not so modern game, so i will try to test it with GTA 5 and something else. Sure 6950 is old, but at 1080p with default settings GTA 5 running at ~30fps on bare metal. I also test it with 3DMark11 and Metro Last Light benchmark. To compare later. I will try to bench something else next days.
PS Sorry for wall of text and my English which probably hard to read, it's not my native language and I'm a bad student.
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