About to do a general upgrade of everything except some cams. Suggestions?

Kurtis500

Kurtis500

Young grasshopper
Sep 10, 2017
77
15
Heres what Ive had for the past 3 years or so:

Lenovo desktop
Windows 10 Pro
Used I5-4570 3.2ghz 4 cores I got off ebay for $120
12 GB memory
500 gb HD with a 2TB external
Blue Iris 4.8.6.3
7 POE cams mix of Dahua starlight or Hikvision

The system works just fine and has been rock solid since I fixed some storage issues 2 years ago. The computer is running at its max capability and if I used it only for the cams I probably would hang on to it a little longer. However I do log in remotely and transfer files between the NAS and do some remote printing which requires loading software on the desktop and creates some serious lagging of the desktop. When I'm near the computer I have my own loaded MBP 16" and never use the desktop for other uses. The desktop is stretched enough without being logged in to and used remotely while BI is running.

I want to replace it with another that will deliver rock solid performance with some room for use for the next 2-3 years. I dont have a lot to throw at the next machine and I really cant dig in and do hours and hours of research on a chip set before I do more on the HD, BI and etc. (Not being lazy, just real) Any suggestions on what to get as a desktop will help me jump start my research. I've read the page for BI suggested hardware but Im not sure what REALLY is the sweet spot for my level of use.

Ive already purchased a 6TB external

-Do I need to go for the internal SSD right away?
-BI5 is a part of the cost in the upgrade. I need this correct?

I understand the capabilities of Blue Iris up to 3 years ago and have not looked at the latest developments in Blue Iris since. What have you noticed that has been a game changer in the newer BI-5? The only thing I want to do additional is use a Smart TV in the house that can pull up the cams when needed.
 
What version of BI are you running? Since 5.3.x.x, can't remember the specific version, BI can use sub streams from the cameras for motion detection. You can see my camera list and my system runs at 20% or less most of the time, ~200MP/ps. BI also will record the sub stream and switch to main stream for recording purposes. That results in tremendous disk space savings. I went from two weeks with 15 cameras to a month with 20 cameras. First thing to do it try updating, it's way less expensive than a new machine.

You don't mention what you plan for the external drive. Unless it's eSATA it won't be very good for BI video storage. Internal drives are the way to go.
 
+1 above. Pay $30ish bucks to upgrade to the newer version with substreams. Much cheaper than a new computer.

If you follow EVERY optimization in this wiki, you will see great results. Don't skip any that you think are not important.

Many come here saying they have done every optimization and once they start posting screenshots, we see they are not utilizing substreams...and that is a HUGE saver of CPU.

A member here was running 50 cameras with an i7 4790 and was at 100% CPU and was looking for recommendations for a new machine. After strong persuasion by many of us, he reluctantly agreed to do every optimization and is now at 30% CPU. Direct-to-disc and substreams are a must....

Optimizing Blue Iris's CPU Usage

Blue Iris uses a lot of CPU time. In most Blue Iris installations, your CPU is the limiting factor which determines how many cameras you can have. As such, it is extremely important to optimize your configuration to ensure you can get the most out of your system while consuming the least...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com
 
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Also to keep in mind...if your machine does other purposes (not recommended but folks do it), you could always change profiles to disable all cameras for however long is needed to temporarily free up resources.
 
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If you run windows on an SSD, Blue Iris will be more responsive. That said, I'm typing this on the same intel processor your using. I don't know that I'd use it for BI. But people certainly do! I've built 2 Blue iris machines, an i7 -3770 with 14 cameras, and the i5-8500 HP Elitedesk 800 on the same cams but now running 16 cams. Very responsive system.
If you decide to scale up the PC, the HP EliteDesk 800 G2 SFF i7-6700 machine will run a whole bunch of cameras, and not break the bank. kind of a sweetspot in the price/performance trade off. great for a Blue iris machine.
www.ebay.com

HP EliteDesk 800 G2 SFF i7-6700@3.40GHz,8GB RAM,256GB SSD DVDRW 889894692160 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HP EliteDesk 800 G2 SFF i7-6700@3.40GHz,8GB RAM,256GB SSD DVDRW at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
this is just an example of whats on ebay. This particular machine has a fan issue. I'd keep looking.
 
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Western Digital Purple HDD's are designed for video recordings.
 
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