Considering Intel NUC 5 i7 (RYH) for BI Server - feedback?

[jbeletti]

Unless they included a spare hard drive caddy, you may have to buy that separately. Just so you know. It is the little plastic piece that helps mount the drive to the case. I'm not sure you can properly mount a hard drive without that piece in these cases.

Yup - ordered that and a SATA cable via Amazon.

 

[adamdylan]

Thank you gentlemen for a fantastic read.

 

[BenNoir]

Also read this thread with interest since I was looking at the NUCs as well. It is 6 months old, but probably still current enough.

What I think I heard...

General Guidance:
- USB connected drives are not necessarily a good choice due to reliability.
- SSD drives may not add great value to a BI dedicated PC (Speed not required, and constant recording, overwriting, will shorten SSD life)
- A system with an internal 3.5" bay offers good HD options (like a big Purple drive)
- I thought I heard 4GB of memory may be enough of you're running < 10 cameras (I would probably install 8GB, cause memory is cheap)
- 5TB drive is probably enough space to store a month worth of videos (continuously recording?)
- i7 laptop processors (like in the NUC) and roughly equivalent in BI capability to i5 desktop processors (like in Dell and HP small computers)


NUC i7 computers:
- More expensive than equivalent i5
+ Lower power consumption, less heat than i5
+ Cute, compact, quiet enclosure
- No 3.5" HD slot

What I did not hear (or I just missed):
No discussion on graphic processing requirements. If the PC is running headless, locked in a closet (a well ventilated closet). Then how much processing power is needed to review and play recorded surveillance videos, and/or display multiple real-time split screen views of cameras? Is the viewing station just using a web browser, or do you need to install BI on that PC as well? The recording PC is in a different building than the monitoring screen.

ben

 

[fenderman]

@BenNoir Welcome to the forum.
If you are running 10 2 or 3 mp cameras I would install 8gb see this thread. https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/6201-Blue-iris-and-CPU-consumption-as-it-relates-to-memory-usage
Storage space will directly depend on the bitrate you are using...5tb may be insufficient.
i7 laptops are generally WAY weaker than desktop haswell i5 systems..it varies by model.
NUC will cost at least double. You can buy an i5 haswell machine for 300 with 3 year warranty.
The i5 haswells run cool and are very quiet. NUC is a complete waste on blue iris and my not be sufficient.
The processing power will depend on the cameras resolution and frame rate x the number of cameras.
You can view via the web browser but the options are limited compared to reviewing on the server itself. A standalone client is mentioned in the BI4 release notes as something we will see in the future.
See this important thread on graphics acceleration that was added to blue iris today! https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/7985-4-2-8-January-7-2016-Hardware-Acceleration

 

[BenNoir]

Thanks fenderman.

I just finished downloading BlueIris so I'll play around a bit to be more familiar before I buy dedicated PCs.

We were given some high quality, but now a bit older 720p IP cameras. So I doubt that they will generate too much traffic. I'm guessing we may be upgrading some of those to the newer generation stuff in time - so I'll try to purchase enough processing power to allow for that. I am a fan of lower power/heat processors in general, and might be willing to pay more for it. But getting adequate performance trumps energy efficiency.

The PC will be remote from the monitor - so if web is lame, lame is what we'll live with until there is a remote monitor client.

Good news on the graphics acceleration. This bodes well for growing resolution requirements.

ben

 

[fenderman]

Thanks fenderman.

I just finished downloading BlueIris so I'll play around a bit to be more familiar before I buy dedicated PCs.

We were given some high quality, but now a bit older 720p IP cameras. So I doubt that they will generate too much traffic. I'm guessing we may be upgrading some of those to the newer generation stuff in time - so I'll try to purchase enough processing power to allow for that. I am a fan of lower power/heat processors in general, and might be willing to pay more for it. But getting adequate performance trumps energy efficiency.

The PC will be remote from the monitor - so if web is lame, lame is what we'll live with until there is a remote monitor client.

Good news on the graphics acceleration. This bodes well for growing resolution requirements.

ben

I too am a fan of low power consumption but you need to do your calculations. For example an i5 haswell T processor has a tdp of 35w vs 28 or so on the nuc i7 processors that score about the same.
Real world power consumption numbers are VERY low even on standard haswell processors. https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/5696-PC-NVR-Power-Consumption-Sample?highlight=consumption
Using a haswell S processor and an efficient power supply will give you great numbers. You will simply never make your money back using the NUC.
If you insist on ultra slim form factor, these score better than the nucs and come with a full three year next business day warranty. http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-EliteDesk-800-G2-Desktop-Computer-Intel-Core-i5-i5-6500T-2-50-GHz-Desktop-/291637800441?hash=item43e6f7adf9:g:DQoAAOSwAYtWPuj7