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Setup Sub Computer System as Graphics Card

Associate
Joined
1 Mar 2015
Posts
4
I was wandering if it would be at all possible, to setup a seperate computer as a graphics card, using a GPU instead of a CPU, RAM, VRAM (somehow), a low WATT PSU, a standard small harddrive and some wizardary.

I'm sure the connection that would have to be made between the two systems would have to be completely custom, but just as a idea/theory, does anyone know if the actual subsystem it self would be atall possible. Or any other form of input would be cool!...
 
Associate
OP
Joined
1 Mar 2015
Posts
4
I was thinking more along the lines of a whole desktop computer, so a replacement of a graphics card, using components from a normal pc.

But thanks anyway, that actual looks quite interesting!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
90,821
Not quite sure what you are asking but:

-A GPU requires a CPU for much of its operation so you can't make a computer using just a GPU and HDD alone.
-You "can" emulate a GPU using external hardware plugged into a pci-e port but it would be incredibly slow.
-You can/could get addin boards which are an entirely self contained computer that plug into a pci-e port but not seen them made for consumers in awhile.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
1 Mar 2015
Posts
4
What I originally meant/was asking, was, if it was at all possible, using the components from a computer, to make a graphics card, because it appeared to me that a graphics card is made up of very similar components.
 
Soldato
Joined
19 May 2004
Posts
3,840
You can use your CPU (or theoretically another) to render graphics yes, however graphics is massively parallel and GPUs are thousands of times wider than CPUs to process it all at once so it would never make sense to try and re-purpose something else, it would be out performed by the cheapest cards today.
 
Soldato
Joined
15 Dec 2007
Posts
16,566
What I originally meant/was asking, was, if it was at all possible, using the components from a computer, to make a graphics card, because it appeared to me that a graphics card is made up of very similar components.

It isn't.

A graphics card has thousands of 'cores' and much faster memory.
 
Associate
Joined
13 Oct 2011
Posts
1,419
Location
Suffolk
Yes, it is technically possible, but it's extremely esoteric so is not something you will find mainstream support for, you'd have to write your own drivers etc. As posted above, this is basically what nVidia do for testing.

It would also be incredibly slow, incredibly power hungry, and incredibly expensive.
 
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