My GPU is 1000ft Away!
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Thanks to NZXT for sponsoring this video! Get your own custom made PC with NZXT BLD today at: nzxt.co How far is too far? We're pushing optical Thunderbolt cables to their limit to see how far we could have a PC while still gaming and see what the impacts are. Buy a Razer - Thunderbolt 4 Dock with Chroma RGB: geni.us Buy a Corning Thunderbolt Optical Cable 10m (33ft): geni.us Buy a Jackery Power Station: geni.us Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com ► GET MERCH: lttstore.com ► AFFILIATES, SPONSORS & REFERRALS: lmg.gg ► PODCAST GEAR: lmg.gg ► SUPPORT US ON FLOATPLANE: floatplane.com FOLLOW US ELSEWHERE --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: @LinusTech Instagram: @linustech TikTok: @linustech Twitch: twitch.tv MUSIC CREDIT --------------------------------------------------- Intro: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High Video Link: youtube.com Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi Artist Link: youtube.com Intro animation by MBarek Abdelwassaa @mbarek_abdel Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 geni.us CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------------- 0:00 Intro 1:02 Baseline Benchmark 1:28 First 50 Meters 4:08 Another 50 Meters 7:30 ANOTHER 50 Meters 10:15 Troubleshooting 13:28 Checking out the new office 14:30 Outro
Linus Technology World's video titled My GPU is 1000ft Away! explores pushing optical Thunderbolt cables to the limit by moving a high-end GPU far away from the host PC to see if gaming performance remains feasible. The host system is based on an NZXT BLD gaming PC, from which a 3080 Ti is removed and placed into an external enclosure to be accessed over a sequence of optical Thunderbolt cables. The team starts with a baseline test at short distance using a copper cable to establish expected frame rates and latency, then incrementally increases the cable length to assess how performance degrades with distance. They run a 1440p Shadow of the Tomb Raider session to measure frames per second, latency, and stability, while joking about the practical challenges of routing cables around a building and through a fence. Throughout, they track the practical constraints of real-world use, including needing powered hubs, latency budgets, and the risk of physical damage to cables caused by passersby and vehicles. The narrative mixes technical experimentation with lighthearted moments, such as neighbor interactions, a playful jacket color gag, and offhand troubleshooting as they attempt to restore connections after disconnections and blue screens. In the end, the team reflects on the feasibility of ultra-long Thunderbolt setups, confirms that distance imposes non-negligible latency, and discusses future office relocation plans and better-suited testing equipment. The sponsor plug for NZXT BLD ties the narrative back to how enthusiasts can configure powerful systems while exploring the edge cases this experiment reveals.
Topics · technology · hardware · experimentation · optical_cabling · data_transmission
Questions answered
- How far can optical Thunderbolt cables realistically carry a GPU while still gaming, according to the video?
- The video shows that while short to moderate distances perform reasonably well, moving toward several hundred meters introduces non-negligible latency and reliability issues. The team attempts a 350 meter run and encounters problems, concluding that there are practical limits to optical Thunderbolt in this setup, especially with the need for powered devices and hubs.
- Do external GPUs via Thunderbolt require power at the remote end for operation?
- Yes, the setup requires that the devices at the remote end are powered. The video demonstrates that attempting to run a drive directly off a dock without adequate power results in failure to detect the device, underscoring the power requirement for remote Thunderbolt configurations.
- What were the key takeaways about latency and hardware topology when extending the distance?
- Extending distance adds latency due to signal translation and round-trip data movement for PCIe and video signals. The team notes that using multiple hubs compounds overhead, and that even at long distances the GPU can show signs of instability or failure to boot, emphasizing that practical long-distance Thunderbolt setups must manage latency budgets and ensure proper powering of all components.