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Need help on how to get started with virtualization on Windows 8

Tags:
  • Virtual Machine
  • Virtualization
  • Windows 8
September 26, 2014 1:59:12 PM

Hi everyone! I'll be straight to the point - I am planning on building a "virtual machine" setup for my home. Essentially, in the home office, I am building a large desk with the purpose of allowing 3 people to work at the same time. However, what I would like to do is to run 1 high performance machine, that allows all 3 people to work side by side.

My general idea is to have an X99 chipset platform with most likely an Intel 5820K CPU, 32GB RAM and 3x nVidia GTX970. In the "normal state", all the resources would be dedicated to "one machine" (basically the machine itself), with 2 monitors (GPUs running in 3 way SLI).

If another person wanted to come and work, then they would turn on a low power miniITX based system (assuming something AMD APU based, small SSD, enough RAM to boot windows - as cheap as possible) with a Linux OS and log into a virtual Windows 8 desktop running on the "base computer" via a switch purely for the network between these machines. That one would then dedicate 1 of the GPUs to the virtual machines, as well as 2 CPU cores, and lets say 8GB of RAM.

If a third person came in, they would turn their little low power system on, and get another GPU, 2 CPU cores, and 8GB of RAM dedicated to their virtual machine.

I can get the hardware figured out very easily, where I am completely inexperienced is the software side. Is dynamic resource dedication like that even possible? Or would I have to have something like a dual boot, with one boot setup with all resources dedicated to a single machine, and a second boot dedicated to virtual machines? And any of you know where I can read up on how to set this up? Which software? (VM vSphere?).

I understand there are lots of resources out there, and I am researching on my own. Without being versed in the ling though I am having a tough time putting 2 and 2 together for how to plan this out. I am hoping someone could point me to a good starting guide, or an example setup, anything like that.

THank you very much for reading my crazy idea post and for any suggestions/jhelp.

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