Can you use 2 computers, and if so, is there any advantage?

[Oldmopars]

So, I have finally sorted out my computer. However, it turned into a rabbit trail where I acquired a bunch of lower spec computers that I am using to replace all the Raspberry Pi's I have on my 3D printers and lasers. 

I saw a video a while back where a guy had 2 computers on his sime, and they were somehow connected and worked together. I wish I could find the video, but as I recall, his "good" computer handles all the heavy lifting of the main game/sim. The other computer somehow was used to display on secondary screens for instruments and such.

Is anyone here doing that? Is there any advantage? I have a few older i5 and i7 machines, a newer i3 and even one with an i7 10700. 

I would not go buy a computer for this, but I have so many extras, it seems like something I should look into.  

[scommander2]

I do not think DCS can leverage the distribute computing now as I know.

However, I run DCS on one computer and MovingMap (likes F-10 view) on another computer.

[MAXsenna]

7 minutes ago, Oldmopars said:

I saw a video a while back where a guy had 2 computers on his sime, and they were somehow connected and worked together. I wish I could find the video, but as I recall, his "good" computer handles all the heavy lifting of the main game/sim. The other computer somehow was used to display on secondary screens for instruments and such.

Is anyone here doing that? Is there any advantage? I have a few older i5 and i7 machines, a newer i3 and even one with an i7 10700. 

Nah, for DCS at least, they didn't really work "together". You can run one as a server and maybe squeeze a few more frames out on the local machine. And you can via ie. Helios run instruments etc. on a second computer or a handheld. While I wouldn't bother with that. Much easier to just add a second screen and run Helios locally.

The server part is worth testing if you've got spare time on your hands. All missions must be multiplayer compatible though.  

[Aapje]

I can only see this being useful if you have additional software running that is either fairly demanding on the GPU or extremely demanding on the CPU.

It's very unlikely that this is the case for a normal DCS setup.

Generally, for gaming you can't just combine a lot of slow computers together to speed things up, since latency is such a big deal.

[Nightdare]

5 hours ago, Aapje said:

you can't just combine a lot of slow computers together to speed things up, since latency is such a big deal.

Not to mention the 'stations' communicating with each other are taking up extra processing power for the data transfers between one another

 

[Oldmopars]

Well, that is kind of what I expected. Sounds like I could put in a lot of effort for zero gain. 

[Hiob]

I think, the most realistic benefits from using two computers for DCS if you set up one as dedicated server and play on the other as client. That would take "some" load from the client if you happen to run a big mission with plenty AI-units etc.....

Both computers need to be performant though....

[Biggus]

When I upgraded, I kept my old system to run as a dedicated server and it's been great.  I use it nearly every night hosting missions with friends.

[diego999]

Prior to the MT version there was an important advantage using a second PC to host the mission you were playing on your main computer. Nowadays not so much - provided your PC has plenty of headroom for DCS and background tasks.

[corbu1]

vor 54 Minuten schrieb Hiob:

I think, the most realistic benefits from using two computers for DCS if you set up one as dedicated server and play on the other as client. That would take "some" load from the client if you happen to run a big mission with plenty AI-units etc.....

Both computers need to be performant though....

This is I run my two PC‘s. One as client and the other one as dedicated server hosting the missions.

[Biggus]

I've found hosting quite a few missions on my main rig (5800X, 64gb with a 9070XT) to be quite a bit less performant even with the current version of DCS.  Once you add things like Tacview, Skyeye, Olympus and a few other bits and pieces, the value of a dedicated box really starts to show itself.  My server box is a 3600X with 32gb and it handles it all admirably.  If Germany wasn't such a taxing map, I'd be comfortable running a 1600AF.

[BitMaster]

As usual,

the less power your game rig has the more it makes sense to OFFLOAD work to another machine, granted you have Gbit LAN wired. This is true for all computing in general.

It just wont run properly on an outdated machine, you have to have the right 2nd PC to get the benefits.

[scommander2]

21 hours ago, corbu1 said:

This is I run my two PC‘s. One as client and the other one as dedicated server hosting the missions.

I am wondering that offs the mission execution from the client to the server, what is the big advantage at the client side if I am one user? 

To have the server handles the computation of AI objects (if many of them)?  Then, it is a big advantage.

Edited 23 hours ago by scommander2

[corbu1]

vor 18 Stunden schrieb scommander2:

I am wondering that offs the mission execution from the client to the server, what is the big advantage at the client side if I am one user? 

To have the server handles the computation of AI objects (if many of them)?  Then, it is a big advantage.

Yes, it‘s the AI calculations. You benefit more the more AI units you have in your mission. 
 

If you’d just fly around on an empty map you‘d most probably don‘t notice a benefit