Replace multiple PC's in a house with one central server/pc

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Richard104

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May 3, 2013
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Hi,
I'm new around here and this is my first post
I have a rather strange and unique question for you all.

I'm just designing a new eco-house as a project and as a hopeful building one day. I was just thinking of all the computers that are running in my current house and was wondering if there is a way to reduce this down into one really powerful computer. At the moment i'm running 3 gaming PC's, a NAS, Media server, 2 Mac's a central home server and a home automation system.

Is there a way yet where I can run one central computer that will use a lot less power than all these individual devices, and then just place monitors, mice and keyboards around the house that are all connected with multiple users but still have enough power to play games if I was to have 3 (Gaming systems) and a streaming TV show playing as the highest load on the server?

Kind Regards and thanks for any and all replies
Richard Merrett
 
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ThomasJ93

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Apr 10, 2013
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As it is now, I would not replace gaming PCs with a powerful server yet. As far as I know there's no good solution for the consumer market yet.

The media server, NAS and home automation system (depending on how it works) can probably be combined into one server. At least the media server and NAS can be combined to one.

I don't know what purpose the Macs serve, but if it's just for browsing and such, you might want to look into a terminal server.
 
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dark_lord69

dark_lord69

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You could put a mouse and keyboard and monitor in multiple locations and have a (thin client pc) run them all off the same computer by having them RDP into a server running virtual machines. Each thin client would use a virtual machine to have it's own desktop but...
that would still require at least a thin client at each location.

You could use 1 powerful computer and use VMware or something similar to create virtual machines. Each virtual machine could be used at a different location via a thin client pc, allowing multiple people to all use 1 computer (kinda). In reality though you would still need a terminal pc (thin client pc) at each location.

As for processing power you'll need quite a LOT you might have to buy a full server with dual or Quad CPU capability. That sever also will need enough room inside to house your graphics card(s). If only 1 person is gaming I think you'd be ok, but you'd likely lag in speed and response so I wouldn't do it if I was you.

If you are going to try it anyway:
The keys for this are:
1. Lots of CPU Power
2. Lots of RAM
3. High performance GPU(s)
4. Setup and recourse allocation on each virtual machine (all running on 1 physical server)

Personally, I think you should only combine your servers and NAS and leave the gaming computers. If you do that you won't have to buy a super expensive server. Just a high performance PC should do the trick.

(For the gaming computers if you keep those separate.)
If you are trying to save power then you should consider different sleep and hibernate options each computer has and ensure they are going to sleep or hibernation when not being used.

If that's not good enough and you don't even want it to trickle power to your computer then each computer should be:
1. Shut down when not in use.
2. then, switch off the surge protector to ensure NO power is getting to the computer (not even a trickle)
 
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mbreslin1954

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Theoretically you could do what you want. Corporate computer rooms do it all the time, with some caveats. They will have a rack full of servers, and only one keyboard, mouse, and monitor, connected to all the servers in the rack with a KVM (keybaord-video-mouse) switch. Each rack typically has its own KVM switch and one monitor, keyboard, and mouse for its rack of servers. The switch may have eight or so different positions, you set the switch to whatever server you want the mouse, keyboard, and monitor to be connected to. It's not very high-tech.

However, there are distance limitations on such KVM switching equipment, and I doubt they cover much distance. In server racks they only have to be six feet long, to range over a house they would have to be much longer. I've used very long VGA video cables (50 ft.) to connect monitors to computers, but I don't know if a USB mouse and keyboard could be extended very far, you'd have to look into the the standards or see if there are signal-boosting devices available. Powered USB hubs strategically situated around the house might solve that problem.

So you can do what you want, but extending the distances to cover a house might not be workable, and if it is it will involve amplifier type devices (e.g., powered USB hubs, VGA signal boosters, etc.). You'll have to do some research, but the starting point is KVM switches.
 
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ThomasJ93

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What you are describing is operating all systems from one keyboard, mouse and monitor. The OP wants to use multiple of those, with one central server.
 
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sspooner587

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I have the same question. Why have all these pc's and Nas all over the house? I have 3 tv rooms with Windows Media Center, one centralized nas on my network. I have to buy Norton for all these systems, Windows OS, Malwarebytes , its crazy! If I had one large centralized PC with 10 hard drives and could feed all my TV's and have monitors, mouse and keyboards in each room that would be something. A modular system I could build and maintain. A large motherboard with like 6 cpu's and 4-6 gpu's. No one has thought about this?
 
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mbreslin1954

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You're kidding, right? A "large" motherboard with 6 CPUs? And 6 GPUs? Who needs that? Can you imagine the expense? Custom engineering one super system like that because you don't want to spend $600/PC for three PCs? Do you have any idea how much that would cost? You wouldn't be able to afford it. Even nuclear laboratories don't buy such super-expensive custom machines, they just network hundreds or thousands of normal PCs together.
 
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sspooner587

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sspooner587

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No, im not kidding. I have 3 tv rooms with pc's, 3 work station pc's, a central NAS, 3 ipads, 2 ipods, 3 iphones. A centralized computer system makes total sense and would be much cheaper that all these pc's with software and hardware for each. What's ridiculous is if you total all the users functional needs, one or two multi-core cpu's could run everything quite easily. Multiple gpu's would allow for High Def on all the work stations. Its just not in the manufacturers interest for home users to have a single system.
 
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Small office

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Sep 8, 2014
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Hi all. I need to access 1 pc from two different locations with only a keyboard, a monitor and a mouse at each location. I also need to be able to open the same office document, (excel or word), at the same time in both locations and edit it at the same time in both locations.
Does anyone have a solution for me? Thanks in advance for any help. All appreciated.
 
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Andremadeira

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Hey! I have the same exact plan. Seems simple but technology is still lagging. There's already power line for hdmi or wifi hdmi to mirror the content from the pc. Add an extension for the keyboard and mouse signal for each screen and there you go. That's what I'm thinking.
 
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jrspolbr

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pluggable dc 125 client servers may solve your problem. Multiple workstations (can have two monitors at each workstation) with keyboard and mouse, with each workstation connected to server using cat 5 cable (ethernet connectctions) Can run as many as 5 work stations on one computer. Google it!!
 
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teddymines

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What are the end users going to be doing? If they are simply browsing the web and watching movies, then tablets would be fine for this. If they will be playing games, then for the time being, standalone systems work best, because you can put the necessary graphics and processing power at the location it would be used.

The all-in-one desktop offerings give you the thin client look and feel you're probably looking for. There is no reason you can't have a centralized back end machine sharing disk resources to those, performing nightly backups, and also handling your home automation.
 
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StrikemanHD

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Im doing exactly what you want right now by useing a program called softxpand (try the trial version no ads ect) Used it on an amd machine for awhile then upgraded to a 5960x 16gig ddr4 with 780ti 270x and 2no 5850 works really well one you understand how to set it up. btw you cant migrate the software to another computer you have to get another liecence but you can get from 2 to 12 workstations i have 6 atm and can be upgraded.
 
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Help me I need help

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Although this is probably to late, i recommend, selling the Macs and live without Apple and save a fortune.
First, get yourself a server with at least 2 Intel Xeon Platinum processors, (10000$) (you seem to have money)
second, get yourself a lesson on how to install titan processors and get very long hdmi cables. (new home) build it into walls. Get Monitors and tv (smart) and hook it up. get at least 4 titans for serious gaming media filing and ect at the same time. Platinums are beast at multitasking.
 
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Wolfshadw

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This thread is almost 6 years old.

Closing.
Wolfshadw
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