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
Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Hancock’s VMware Half Hour
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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!
Carrying on the nested hypervisor theme from the other day, when I tried VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi), free download from VMware, on VMware Workstation 7.1.4, as it’s becoming common place for vendors to allow the use of Hypervisors for free, I downloaded the Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008: R2 hypervisor for free to also try in VMware Workstation 7.1.4.
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008: R2 installs correctly, and looks like it’s going to function, but then Whoops, cannot power on any Virtual Machines!
Well these are the results I would expect from installing Hyper-V in a VMware Workstation 7.1.4 virtual machine, as often nested hypervisors do not function correctly. I just thought I would prove this.
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