Its not simply the number of cameras, its the resolution and frame rate as well as other factors...why dont you tell us how many cameras and which ones you plan to run...
A vms should be run on a dedicated pc..if you want to dedicate your existing pc, its easy to test...make sure you set the cameras to record direct to disk in blue iris as well as enable hardware acceleration. Also you must enter the license key, the demo will not support direct to disk.
There are a lot of factors, if you run max bitrate, constant bitrate, how many fps per camera you are going to do, what mp cameras you will be running. on an i7 the fastest one they have I estimate I can run about 20ish 2mp cameras maxed out settings 15fps each at around 80%, you are better off to over build than under build, just my two cents, I got my box for $630 refurb straight from dell, XPS, 8gig of ram, 1TB drive, gig ethernet.
Another question, are you buying 4mp just for the number 4mp? You could buy a 2mp camera for a lot cheaper that will spank anything that hikvision puts out, it may look better during the day in perfect lighting but a surveillance camera runs 24/7 and has to deal with a lot of varying lighting conditions, you want something that is going to look good all the time not great in broad daylight and crap any other time.
hikvision is kind of last year lol.
The lower resolution camera will perform BETTER at night and low light.
define plenty..
That is hard to gauge without seeing it..remember that 4mp is NOT double the pixel density of 2mp...
