Welcome to Hancock’s VMware Half Hour! In this episode of the Minisforum MS-A2 Series – Part 12 Ultimate #homelab, we take the compact but powerful MS-A2 and push it to the limits by installing VMware vCenter Server 9.0 on ESXi 9.
From installation to configuration and performance benchmarks, I’ll walk you through every step — including DNS setup, deployment options, datastore selection, and SSO configuration. We’ll also run boot speed benchmarks to see just how fast vCenter Server 9.0 can run on the MS-A2. Spoiler: it’s blazing fast! ? It’s on FIRE !
If you’re thinking of building a small, efficient, and powerful #homelab capable of enterprise-level virtualization, this is the video for you.
Minisforum MS-A2 Can it Play Doom The Dark Ages Minisforum MS-A2 Series Part 8 Ultimate #homelab
DOOM: The Dark Ages Demo on a Minisforum MS-A2 + RTX 3090 eGPU!? ?
You read that right — I’ve upgraded the tiny Minisforum MS-A2 with a serious punch: an OcuLink-connected eGPU dock and a NVIDIA RTX 3090. Now the question is… can it finally handle DOOM: The Dark Ages?
In this video, I run the DOOM: The Dark Ages demo on this mini PC beast-hybrid and test just how much performance you can squeeze out of a small form-factor PC when paired with high-end external graphics.
?? System Setup:
Minisforum MS-A2 (Ryzen AI Mini PC)
Minisforum eGPU Dock with OcuLink
NVIDIA RTX 3090 GPU
128GB RAM, NVMe SSD
Windows 11
? What You’ll See:
Full DOOM: The Dark Ages demo gameplay
Performance stats, FPS, temps
Commentary on eGPU setup, compatibility, and bottlenecks
Was it worth upgrading the MS-A2 with an RTX 3090?
? Have questions about the eGPU dock, OcuLink, or the MS-A2? Drop them in the comments!
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Purchase a #homelab here
Barebone Minisforum MS-A2 https://amzn.to/3GEoiOA
Crucial DDR5 RAM 96GB Kit (2x48GB) 5600MHz SODIMM https://amzn.to/3Uatfl4
Crucial DDR5 RAM 128GB Kit (2x64GB) 5600MHz SODIMM,https://amzn.to/3Uhef4U
Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink https://amzn.to/4ePjYsr
Crucial P310 NVMe 1TB 2230 M.2 SSD https://amzn.to/44x055Y
NFHK M.2(A+E Key) 2230MM to NVME M-Key Extension Card Adapter for Motherboard NVME SSD Hard Drive Port Extension 2230/2242/2260/2280MM https://amzn.to/3Ix7rxz
MINISFORUM DEG1 Docking Station, PCIe x16 (PCIe4.0x4), Force Power On, ATX/SFX Power https://amzn.to/41pIYAQ
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In today’s video, I ask the age-old question: Can it run DOOM?
Spoiler: Classic DOOM (1993)? Oh yeah — it runs great. Smooth, fast, and just as demon-slaying as ever.
DOOM: The Dark Ages though? ? …Well, that’s a different story.
I test out the Minisforum MS-A2, a compact mini PC powered by AMD’s latest tech, to see how it handles both the original retro shooter and the upcoming next-gen entry in the DOOM franchise. From pixelated corridors to modern hellscapes, how far can this tiny system go?
Specs Overview:
CPU: AMD Ryzen™ 9 9955HX
GPU: AMD 610 Radeon Graphics 2GB
RAM/Storage: 128GB RAM/Samsung 990 PRO 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD
What You’ll See:
Running Classic DOOM
Attempting to tackle DOOM: The Dark Ages
Honest performance impressions
A few laughs along the way
Purchase a #homelab here
Barebone Minisforum MS-A2 https://amzn.to/3GEoiOA
Crucial DDR5 RAM 96GB Kit (2x48GB) 5600MHz SODIMM https://amzn.to/3Uatfl4
Crucial DDR5 RAM 128GB Kit (2x64GB) 5600MHz SODIMM,https://amzn.to/3Uhef4U
Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink https://amzn.to/4ePjYsr
Crucial P310 NVMe 1TB 2230 M.2 SSD https://amzn.to/44x055Y
NFHK M.2(A+E Key) 2230MM to NVME M-Key Extension Card Adapter for Motherboard NVME SSD Hard Drive Port Extension 2230/2242/2260/2280MM https://amzn.to/3Ix7rxz
Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Hancock’s VMware Half Hour
Enjoying the content? Support me with an espresso coffee! ? Buy Me an Espresso Coffee! – https://buymeacoffee.com/einsteinagogo
Donate – https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/AndrewHancock
Want to support British beekeeping? Get RAW PURE honey here! ?https://meltonbyhoney.com/ Sorry UK only, unless demand increases to international destinations!
And on occasion, I have to deal with the physical world of computing, when the power supply in PC Workstation No.2 decided to go bang, and then tripped the circuit breaker for the sockets in the house! (the computer was not even powered up, but it has a smart power supply, Wake on LAN, low power etc so although plugged into AC, it’s “on”.)
I’ve been disassembling the PC Workstation No.2, little service vacuum out the dust from heatsinks, fans, hard drives, and replacing the PSU with a new working supply from the spares cupboard.
Checking the broken power supply to check which side of the power supply decided to go bang, (AC or DC) fuse had not blown inside the power supply, but here are the photographs from the broken power supply. I think you’ll see the fault immediately.
But this has some good news, because I managed to salvage a 3300uF 16v Capacitor from this broken power supply to repair the power supply in my Humax FoxSAT-HD STB! (but that’s another blog!)
On driving to the bakers at lunchtime today to get a pasty and sandwich for my lunch, I was struck down by severe stabbing chest pain, so severe that I had to emergency brake and stop the car at silly speed. (the car following me, had a surprise) – I thought I was having a heart attack it came on so quick and was terribly painful, and my immediate thoughts were to stop the car quickly for safety, on getting out of the car, I immediately took off my t-shirt, to check for insects and I found five small puncture wounds and swellings under my left nipple (the owner of the car behind got out to start having a swearing competition with me – but backed down – when I mentioned I’d been stung by an insect – and showed him my left breast!).
I was rather relieved that I’d been stung, but still a little concerned that I couldn’t find anything that had caused it, about 5 minutes later, when leaving the car in the car park, I found a dying young Wasp in the handbrake console, I must have damaged/squashed it when I grasped my chest in the car. The wasp must have flown in through the window or pinged on the wing mirror into my clothing, couldn’t get out, so stung me five times around the nipple!
I was going to call this post Heart Attack, but I thought that would be too alarmist! I could have taken a picture of the dead wasp for the post, but I didn’t think that was very exciting,
so I’ve called it In the beginning …
no reference to the Bible, God or Jesus Christ but to the IBM PC XT! to which I personally owe an awful lot – Thanks IBM!
IBM Personal Computer XT Model 5160
IBM Personal Computer XT Model 5160 Made in Scotland
For those of you, who know your computing history, you’ll know, that I’m not correct, as the 5150 came before this – the original IBM Personal Computer (PC), and was released in 1981, the 5160 (IBM PC XT) was released 2 years later in 1983. But I don’t have a 5150 to photograph!
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