Assembling a PC isn’t something new. People, especially the ones interested in gaming, tend to get a PC with their preferred specifications so as to get the best possible output and performance. It’s not just gamers that tend to do that. Various individuals and teams involved in image and graphics processing, video editing and rendering, and live streaming also assemble PCs of their own with best technical specifications and best quality hardware.
But Linus Tech Tips, a team of YouTube tech experts led by Linus Sebastian has assembled a PC that could probably be the greatest one of all. Linus Sebastian has been a prominent tech geek-cum-expert who rose to fame as a YouTube personality with his channel Linus Tech Tips founded in 2008. From gadget reviews and hardware resurrections to tech solutions and pro-tips, Linus has covered it all.
But in 2018, the team took a leap and created something unimaginable. Linus went on to build a PC worth $100,000 under a project that lasted more than a year. The amount of work and installation that has gone into this PC would leave you more awe-struck than that high price.
Let’s take a look at what Linus and his team have accomplished with this PC, and what magnificent tasks it can execute with those amazing specs and features:
What is this $100,000 PC?
The project was to create a six-in-one workstation, where six high-definition video-editing computers could work simultaneously under one single motherboard. Now to do that, Linus came up with a quantified configuration comprising of the graphics cards, radiators, and other hardware material; all programmed and integrated together to run a Windows-based collective system.
It took Linus not just to assemble major parts, but also integrate the microchips altogether in one gigantic custom-build case. A project that lasted more than a year produced something even Linus wasn’t sure would work. But honestly, that one heavy piece of giant computer looks really legit. So, let’s see what it took for Linus Tech Tips to put their year-long project to work finally.
Features of Linus’s $100,000 PC: An Integration of Best Hardware
| Processor | Intel XeonPlatinum 8180 Processors
Quantity: 2 It’s a 28-Core Server-grade Processor with 56 Threads. The PC has two of these, thus doubling the performance output from one CPU. |
| Memory | 384 GB ECC DDR 4 memory (64GB*6), supporting 6 Virtualized Video Editors simultaneously |
| GPU | NVIDIA Titan Volta (Titan V)
Quantity: 6 GPU Memory: 12GB 2nd Grade High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM2) The six graphics cards would support six different workstations simultaneously. |
| Heat Transfer | 2000 W |
| PCIe Expansion | An additional daughterboard to allow 2 Hot-Pluggable USB Ports per user and a Mellanox 100GB Ethernet Card |
| Power Supply | EVGA 1600 W T2 80+ Power Supply
Quantity: 2 Dual power supply required to convert AC mains into low-voltage DC current for internal units of the CPU. |
| Storage | NAS Drive of 10TB Capacity Each
Quantity: 8 Eight 10TB NAS drives to create one network-based storage for all that would be done on the six workstations
Intel Optane SSD: 905P Series of 960GB Capacity Each Quantity: 2 |
| Cooling Systems | – An EK Annihilator Water-Cooled CPU Block for the Processors
– Another EK Water-Cooled Block for 6xGPU Terminal – 4 EK Water-cooled Thick Radiator of 140mm on top and bottom for 2000W Heat – A Triple Fan Model on the Front for additional cooling support
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Looking at these specifications, one can imagine the number of customizations Linus and his team had to do just to fit all that in one large unit. This entire configuration was assembled by combining customized terminals for processors, GPU, storage units, and GPU systems. All that was then put into one Monster Chassis Case from Case Labs. As mentioned, this configuration powers not one but six different 8K-monitor screen workstations where Linus and his team did different graphics editing processes simultaneously.
Where Did The Money Go?
As for basic fund calculations, there are two Intel Xeon 8180 28-core processors. One of these units cost approximately $10000. Besides, one of the NVIDIA Titan V is priced at $3000, and there are six of them installed in this configuration. In general, a NAS Drive of 10TB capacity can cost approximately $700 and then there are two Intel Optane SSDs: 905P Series that are worth approximately $1300 each. The EVGA power supplies are also $400 each.
So, when we tried figuring out where Linus would have spent most of it, we found:
| 2x Intel Xeon 8180 28-core processors | $20000 |
| 6x NVIDIA Titan V 12GB HBM2 | $18000 |
| 8x NAS Drive (10TB) | $5600 |
| 2x Intel Optane SSDs: 905P | $2600 |
| EVGA Power Supplies | $800 |
| 4x 140MM EK Radiators | $320 |
| 2x EK Annihilator Blocks for GPU and Processors | $130 |
Now, these aren’t the true prices and are just approximate figures for the tools that Linus and his team purchased.
Add the monster case from Case Labs, Coolants, the triple-fan cooling configuration, cables, the PCIe expansion slot, the six 8K monitors and the RAM which would add much more to the cost. Initially, Linus was eyeing for a different GPU but could only get a hold of Titan V. He even admitted that the price wasn’t pushed to exactly $100,000 but did reach nearby.
Nevertheless, he was able to run six 8K workstations together for graphics and video editing processes. And more importantly, he did that in 1/3rd of the price of six Mac Pros, with better configurations and installations. Now that’s a pro job.
Can You Get One?
If you want the same one, no, you cannot. Linus and his team have assembled the most minute of the internal components just to get it working, and then they spent more than a year working on errors, crashes, troubleshooting, etc. Plus, it’s a workstation and not a PC, so, you actually would never need that. Unless of course, you are running an enterprise where you require heavy image processing and editing operations done simultaneously on six computers.
We might not be able to make one, but I for sure want to try operating on it at least once. That kind of configuration is truly amazing, and hats off to Linus Tech Tips for making it come true. At first, it might sound stupid to spend $100,000 on a computer, but what this one can do would blow your mind.
What do you think about this:
Tell us how you feel about spending $100,000 on a computer and that you would like to have a PC like that in your office space. Fill in your suggestions in the comment box or Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.