Computer for 24/7

jeffreytp

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I'll be using BlueIris.

I will have 6-7 Hikvision DS-2CD2385FWD-I monitoring the exterior of a house.
DS-2CD2385FWD-I 8 MP(4K) IR Fixed Turret Network Camera-Hikvision

I am looking to record in high resolution, 24/7. I am looking for the lowest power consumption option since it will be running 24/7. I thought a laptop would be better instead of a desktop solution. I was looking at these spec's for the laptop:
Intel Core i3-8130U Processor 2.2GHz ( Intel® Core™ i3-8130U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) Product Specifications ); 8GB DDR4-2400 RAM; 128GB Solid State Drive.
My cost would be about $280

I would then hookup via USB 3.0 an external 10TB 5400 RPM HDD to store all the recorded footage.
$150 ish

Does this setup seem good?
 

fenderman

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I'll be using BlueIris.

I will have 6-7 Hikvision DS-2CD2385FWD-I monitoring the exterior of a house.
DS-2CD2385FWD-I 8 MP(4K) IR Fixed Turret Network Camera-Hikvision

I am looking to record in high resolution, 24/7. I am looking for the lowest power consumption option since it will be running 24/7. I thought a laptop would be better instead of a desktop solution. I was looking at these spec's for the laptop:
Intel Core i3-8130U Processor 2.2GHz ( Intel® Core™ i3-8130U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) Product Specifications ); 8GB DDR4-2400 RAM; 128GB Solid State Drive.
My cost would be about $280

I would then hookup via USB 3.0 an external 10TB 5400 RPM HDD to store all the recorded footage.
$150 ish

Does this setup seem good?
Go with a desktop. That laptop wont even come close to being sufficient among the lack of local storage, some wont auto boot after power loss.
Modern desktops are VERY efficient. See threads discussing power consumption and read the wiki for selecting proper hardware.
 

Mr_D

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Laptops also aren't meant for 24/7 use. They don't dissipate heat as well as a desktop, the tiny fans and vents get clogged with dust easily, and heat kills electronics.
 

jeffreytp

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Laptops also aren't meant for 24/7 use. They don't dissipate heat as well as a desktop, the tiny fans and vents get clogged with dust easily, and heat kills electronics.
That's a good point about the laptop and 24/7 heat, dust...
 

Judman

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area651

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so now, cost effective desktop...
you're going to get a lot of personal opinions on this but I like to find the sellers on ebay who are leasing companies who have computers off lease. I've bought several desktop i7s with 8gb of ram and never paid over $150 tops. recently talked about it here - Good Blue Iris Machine

they're out there. lots of places with off-lease desktops
 

bp2008

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Be sure to follow this guide: Optimizing Blue Iris's CPU Usage | IP Cam Talk

The most cost-effective option I would recommend for you is a $150-$250 desktop with a 3rd/4th gen i7 or 6th/7th gen i5. The biggest compromise is going to be your frame rates. 7x 4K cameras at 15 FPS is 871 megapixels per second which won't leave enough spare CPU time left over for much else like remote viewing or playing recordings. If you can live with 10-12 FPS frame rate on all cams then you should be okay. Or you could properly set up the "Limit decoding" feature and keep your frame rates high in recordings, but forget about having a good live view experience.
 

jeffreytp

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i5 doesn't have hyper-threading. i7 does. Wouldn't this feature better support the setup?
 

ThomasPI

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Read the Wiki then ask specifics. I’m in same boat, building a new house and will be using 18 Dahua 2MP Starlight cams. I’ve been a heavy Mac user for 30 years give or take and have a lot to learn.
 
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