The $100,000 PC LIVES! - 6 Editors 1 CPU Pt. 5

The episode tracks a large collaborative PC hardware project featuring six editors and a single CPU, focusing on pushing a high-end workstation setup to the limit. Early on the team identifies persistent virtualization crashes tied to motherboard PCIe bifurcation and slot reliability, noting that certain slots either do not function or split lanes improperly. They introduce a TYAN dual LGA 3647 motherboard as an alternative with 11 PCIe slots, 12 memory slots, and 10 gigabit networking, a direct response to the bifurcation problem. The hosts also review a Thermaltake A500 case and discuss moving from ASUS to other components while keeping the same overarching goal: a robust multi-VM editing and processing environment. They describe the connection architecture including external PCIe risers, a daughter board for USB 3 controllers, 10 gig networking ambitions, and a plan to boot with Intel Xeon CPUs due to prior hardware limitations. The setup aims to give each VM its own dedicated USB 3 controller, reduce bottlenecks, and support rapid ingest for editing tasks, all while managing power, cabling, and space constraints in a makeshift test bench environment. By the halfway point, the team begins testing the six workstations, confirms one VM boots and the Sentinel device is recognized, and frames the next steps for stabilizing GPU drivers and expanding to 8K editing with Optane boot drives. Finally, they reflect on the iterative process, acknowledge the budget-driven compromises, and set expectations for future stages including higher end networking and storage improvements, all while keeping humor and camaraderie intact among the crew. The episode ends with a forward-looking note on achieving stability and expanding productivity benchmarks across the six workstations, hinting at a future live-capability test for 8K workflows and shared storage scenarios.

Topics · technology · hardware · computing · pc-build · video-production