Is there a preferred PC for running BluIris with 8 cameras?

[hyde]

I use VGA to HDMI adapter. They are like $15-20 and work good.

Thanks, I used that too on my thinkpad before but my TV would lock in "PC" mode even after I change inputs, must be something with the AV Receiver getting confused and being stuck at PC. When the TV is stuck in PC mode, a lot of the picture settings are disabled, and the picture turns into a soft mess. I have to unplug everything and replug them in order to get TV to allow me to select regular picture settings. This happens mainly on DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, but it has happened with VGA to HDMI too.
Looks like most of these PCs have PCI slots available a simple graphics card should help with performance and add HDMI.

What's your suggestion on i5 generations?

 

[Snapper30]

Iris | IP Cam Talk

Have you read the Wiki linked by @looney2ns ? The newer generation processors use less energy and are coupled with better chipsets. Read the Wiki about about H.265 acceleration.

Timing and research has a lot to do with the good deals, if you have that luxury and desire. Some people do not have or wish to dedicate the time to scouring sites to learn price trends and catch deals when they pop up. Time is money and everyone makes the decision that suits them at the moment. I did not know the differences between the Optiplex models, so I checked the specs on Dell.com to help narrow down which models were acceptable or preferred. That really helped me narrow the search.

I was searching for a i7-4770 to upgrade the i5-3570k in my current PC and the prices were almost the same as 4-5 years ago when I built the system. Cheaper to buy an complete Optiplex for BI.

 

[hyde]

Thanks but it says

H.265 acceleration hardware which may be usable by Blue Iris in the future.

So it sounds like currently there is no benefit of h.265 acceleration, and it does say You can also get good performance out of older models as far back as the Sandy Bridge architecture (2xxx series, such as i7-2600) . But it mentions only i7 not i5, which I hope is acceptable. At $100 for workstation, it's really not too bad, worst case it can be donated to someone or brought to office as back up etc. Ability to upgrade processor/etc is the biggest plus. There are cases with no room for any upgrades, and then there are those with PCI expansion ports, several of those and since graphic cards make a big difference in overall performance, I think that should be the way to go. I'd probably go with lowest RAM since there is always RAM lying around somewhere, the biggest value in these devices is the pre-installed OS, since Win 10 costs about $100 alone these days.

 

[bp2008]

The key is Quick Sync support, and 2nd generation i3 and i5 CPUs do have Quick Sync support so they are okay if your budget can't afford anything newer or faster. However, I believe the 2nd generation's implementation of Quick Sync Video is a bit limited. One of the BI servers I manage runs on an i3-2xxx (I don't remember the exact model) and I discovered that hardware acceleration doesn't work with a 4MP video stream, but it works fine with 2MP streams. My theory therefore is that the 2nd generation has a limit of 1920x1080 or something for hardware acceleration. My i7-3770K servers can handle even 8MP cameras fine with hardware acceleration.

I only have the one data point for this 1920x1080 limitation, which is why I didn't mention it in the wiki page.

 

[Dasstrum]

...several of those and since graphic cards make a big difference in overall performance,

Graphics cards have no value in improving blue iris performance. They only consume more electricity.

the biggest value in these devices is the pre-installed OS, since Win 10 costs about $100 alone these days.

Truth

 

[Snapper30]

Truth

Yes, the cost of building a workstation is more than buying one ready to go.

Correct, BI does not support H.265 now, but I chose to go with an i5-6500 rather than a 4th gen processor so i won't have to upgrade if/when H.265 is added.

 

[hyde]

bp2008, it's not just budget but it's hard to find 4th or 5th gen i5, etc with reasonable price bump, for example the link I shared, $80-$90 for i5 2nd gen, suddenly price jumps to $150+ for 4th or 5th gen or i7.

Dasstrum, thanks, but if you plan to use the computer for occasional PC usage like watching movies, home videos, or other operation, graphic card should help with overall performance, plus it's the only way to add hdmi with these workstations.

 

[Snapper30]

The 5040's and 3050 I bought only have HDMI and Display Port for video out.

I forgot to mention, a lot of the OEM manufacturers encoded the OS COA into the hardware (BIOS/mobo) so reinstalling is usually painless. Unfortunately MS has ended the free WIN 10 upgrade period, but you would be eligible to buy the upgrade which is less, especially if you find a WIN 7 machine.

 

[Dasstrum]

Which desktop should I get? I am not planning to use it for anything else, only for BI.
Thanks.

Dasstrum, thanks, but if you plan to use the computer for occasional PC usage like watching movies, home videos, or other operation, graphic card should help with overall performance, plus it's the only way to add hdmi with these workstations.

 

[PoeNoPoe]

Can someone clarify, I thought the new version of Blue Iris did support H.265

"Version 4.6.6.1 (January 8, 2018)
* MP4 direct to disc files will now contain the correct H.264/265 headers for compatibility
* H.265 camera support including direct-to-disc and MP4 export"
Blue Iris Updates

If this is the case will H.265 make a worthwhile impact (CPU usage or ?)

 

[Dasstrum]

Can someone clarify, I thought the new version of Blue Iris did support H.265

"Version 4.6.6.1 (January 8, 2018)
* MP4 direct to disc files will now contain the correct H.264/265 headers for compatibility
* H.265 camera support including direct-to-disc and MP4 export"
Blue Iris Updates

If this is the case will H.265 make a worthwhile impact (CPU usage or ?)

It does 4 of my 7 cameras are h.265.

Blue Iris currently does not support hardware acceleration for h.265

 

[fenderman]

bp2008, it's not just budget but it's hard to find 4th or 5th gen i5, etc with reasonable price bump, for example the link I shared, $80-$90 for i5 2nd gen, suddenly price jumps to $150+ for 4th or 5th gen or i7.

Dasstrum, thanks, but if you plan to use the computer for occasional PC usage like watching movies, home videos, or other operation, graphic card should help with overall performance, plus it's the only way to add hdmi with these workstations.

note the second gen i5 will not support HA for more than 1080p cameras....60 bux for a two year newer system is nothing in the long run..

 

[hyde]

Quote

Right, I said "if you plan to use" referring to others who may have plans to use it for other than BI. Personally $20 is negligible to get HDMI port alone. Some people use VGA with a small monitor, since I won't be looking at it all the time, I prefer to hook it up to my AVR using HDMI so I can swap inputs easily.