Okay what I want todo is. I want to build a couple low power pc's in custom cases (looking sorta like a game console if you will). The specs would be similar to P3 500MHz, 1 GB ram, 1 GB harddrive, DVD drive, CF reader, top of line video card with composite out and tv tuner. The i want to uild a server maybe like Twin Xeon 2.4Ghz cpu's, 200GB, 1GB ram, some cheap S3 vid card. Then I want to install games like Halo, UT GOTY, Sims on the server. Then somehow play them through the internet on to the game systems. Is this possible? I was thinking that the system will make a mirror of the game on the ram and play from there. Is this also possible? These will run Linux with a custom GUI, and all game saves will go on the CF. This is just currently experimental, and I only plan one terminal for now.

have you tried WinVNC?

not exactly what im looking for. winvpn is for remote desktop. I dont need that.

I see what you are getting at (using the slower PC as a remote video card), but in practical terms it is impossible. Even a lowly PCI video card has more bandwidth than Gigabit Ethernet, AGP and PCIe cards many times more. Even if it were possible, there would be no way to send that much information in real time over even a local network.

Unfortunately, no. You can do this with normal applications but not 3d ones (see Washu's comment). It's called a "terminal server" - I've set them up in a school lab of Pentium-1s so we could have better software at acceptible speeds any only need to buy one computer with a lot of ram...

www.ltsp.org
www.k12linux.org


Note: Now that you can get 10-Gigabit standard Ethernet and such it will be possible, but it will take some time.

well its a remote video card sort of. but the game gets copied onto the ram so the game is local, as the game progresses more gets copied.

Posted by Crazydeep74 well its a remote video card sort of. but the game gets copied onto the ram so the game is local, as the game progresses more gets copied.

Well you could do that, but it doesn't work in the way you are thinking. Assuming your network is fast enough (100 mbit would be ok, gigabit better) you could run the games from your file server over a network share. However, all this is accomplishing is storing the data on the file server instead of your local hard drive. All processing would be done on the local PC (IE, the 500 MHz P3, the 2.4 GHz would be doing almost nothing). The fast server would not be "helping" the slower PC in any way. If this is what you want to do I would swap the PCs; IE, make the 500 MHz P3 the server.

Well let me know if this works for you. the test game system will have the following:
P3 900Mhz(anyone got on to sell/give me? Dosnt have tobe exactly 900)
10GB or less maybe 4(Pm me washu if ya still got the 4)
Generic Motherboard(anyone got one handy to sell/give me?)
Creative stereo sound
Video card (anyne got one with composite out?)
Cd rom drive(once again?)
Ram (if the mobo dosnt have any on board (128 or 256 will do)
Powersupply (once again?)
Im sorry I need so many parts, the local store closed and I dont really want to buy new. Ill pay though.

I was thinking of running linux wth a Windows Emulator, or will straight up windows run better? Also can anyone recommend a good emulator and linux distro thats small?

Sounds fine for a lower-end gaming machine.

I can probably help you out on some of the parts.

Out of your list I have:

- P3 933 MHz. CPU only, you'll need to find a socket 370 MB that supports the 133 bus speed.
- Still have the 4 GB drive.
- I have the ATI All in Wonder which does have composite and s-video out. However, it's no gaming card. It would be ok if all you wanted to do was watch movies and/or surf the net on a TV.
- CDROM drive.
- Lots of 10/100 network cards if needed.

Posted by Crazydeep74 I was thinking of running linux wth a Windows Emulator, or will straight up windows run better? Also can anyone recommend a good emulator and linux distro thats small?

If you want linux, go with Gentoo as it would be the most optimized.

If you want a windows emulator, go to isohunt or p2p somewhere and look for the latest copy of Cedega.

thanks guys this is great. you'll be getting a PM from me soon washu. This first one wont be playing high end games, just UT GOTY and Doom ultimate/2/final and maybe the sims. Its really just to get more support in what me and my friend are doing so we cna get some help.

http://cgi.ebay.co...rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Would this work for the CPU?

Make it this instead, the last was AS iS this has a warrenty.
http://cgi.ebay.co...hotoQQcmdZViewItem

Posted by Crazydeep74 Make it this instead, the last was AS iS this has a warrenty. http://cgi.ebay.co...hotoQQcmdZViewItem

Yes, that will work but there is no AGP slot (810 chipset can't have one), so your video options are limited to integrated or PCI. Look for an 815 board if you can.

I couldnt find any 815 boards that werent AS-IS. AGP isnt really needed for now, on our second prototype maybe.

I need to connect my video card and network card at right angles. Im not sure if I can fit both with two right angle connectors. So to make a single PCI connector into two at a right angle, thats a PCI miirror Image connector?