First of all I want to say hello to you all, I just signed up to the Forum. I'll start by saying that I've read a lot but I'm still very confused and for this reason I explicitly ask for help.

So far I have tried to recycle the hardware I own and buy (budget permitting) what I need. I need to setup a 6-camera SDI vmix system (Sony Fs5) to stream to YouTube at 1080 P25.


As for the acquisition I have a Sonnettech Echo express SE II (thunderbolt 2) with a Blackmagic decklink quad and a Blackmagic decklink duo 2 inside.


So far I've been playing around using a 2013 Macbook Pro with Bootcamp and Windows 10 + vmix installed as a computer. The computer is equipped with an Intel i7 quadcore and an NVIDIA 750M if I remember correctly. The performance with 4 cameras was sufficient but the computer was too old and no longer reliable. For this reason I wanted to switch to a native Windows PC. I would prefer a Notebook for portability reasons but, even reading a lot online and here on the forum I haven't found a definitive answer. I would like a Dell Precision because I trust the brand which is very widespread and serious. However, I don't know how to choose the features I need on the used market. I imagine that the minimum essential is an i7 but perhaps an i9 is better, as regards the NVIDIA card I really don't know because I'm very confused. What I need to get is listed below:

1) Mix and cut with 6 SDI camera at 1080 25p

2) Streaming on youtube at 1080 25p

3) Output a program signal using hdmi output (embedded on the computer or using a free decklink output converted sdi->hdmi)

4) Record the Program on the internel SSD

that is the minimum the computer must do.

IF THE computer is capable i like also to record all the camera on the internal ssd but i have read that is cpu intensive? gpu intensive? boh.


thanks for tour reply

@ Alessandro B

The vMix Reference Systems are the best guide for knowing the type of computer to use with vMix:
- https://www.vmix.com/pro...x-reference-systems.aspx

The System Requirements for vMix Instant Replay are also a good supplement as a guide for what is needed or recommended in higher end systems to use that feature effectively:
- https://www.vmix.com/hel.../SystemRequirements.html

Given that, the Dell Precision 3541 you list is a little on the weak side, the i7 9850H CPU only has 6 cores @ 2.60GHz and the Quadro P620 has fewer CUDA Cores (512) than a GeForce GTX 1050 (640) which is the base minimum you will want for a GPU (as a comparison, the GeForce RTX 4080 Super in the Obsidian Reference System has 10,240 CUDA Cores).



Ice

Hi,
given the need, a Blackmagic ATEM SDI Extreme ISO that outputs on MacBook and Sonnet/BMD

Personal opinion. If you are a one man show production for everything like camera cuts,sound,graphics,play video etc, vmix is more convienent to work compared to have a video mixer,a sound mixer,another pc come in to atem to play videos etc. This way i did it for about 20 years and 3,5 years im on vmix everything side and there is no return to the other way
Beyond this,if i would need portabillity i would go in desktop pc with case wheels like some i have seen in the known vmix fb groups

Yes, let's say you hit the target. Maybe I won't be alone all the time, but the convenience of having all the possible inputs in a machine is priceless.

But you recommend a desktop that is not very suitable for a “one man director” perspective. I think that for my use there is a suitable laptop, considering that I now use 4 cameras with a macbook pro late 2013 that doesn't have much power. Perhaps the only thing that is out of reach for notebooks is recording individual camera streams? But for that I could manage by recording directly into the camera

i'm not an amateur, i already have two 8 channel mixer from blackmagic, one 8ch HDMI and one 8ch SDI 4k. But i cannot buy everithing top of the line of every single aspect, and the fact that vmix (and all the system that rotate around it) is modular let me buy some hardware and improve and invest piece by piece by piece. My intent is to buy a laptop tailored on my exact needs (or a little, but little more) and not waste all the budget, so first i need to understand why a specific graaphic card is powerful enough, if a laptop can be ok, (200 cuda core every input for example?) if i use a sonnet enclosure is ok and his limit, instead ob buy a full atx mainboard and put all my card inside the pciex slot, but that sacrify deeply the portability for example. i know that if i buy a 5k€ notebook probably i will have a powerful enough computer but.. i not want for that, i write from a macbook pro 16" that i pay 5k€ 2 years ago, i'm not an amateur come on.

Vmix improvements and feature additions require more PC resources each time, so even with a used one, don't aim too low to avoid having to buy another PC in two years.

Intel 11th gen, 12th gen, and 13th gen (H version only) natively support Thunderbolt, which is a plus.

Otherwise, to stick with your idea, I would aim for a CPU at least twice as powerful as the MacBook in benchmarks.

And for the GPU, at least 4x more in CUDA cores, double video memory, and bandwidth.

https://www.techpowerup....cs/geforce-gt-750m.c2224

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/

Very interesting information thanks, so you mean to tell me that to do the same things I need a much more powerful computer? Even without using particular functions that maybe I have never used in the past? Actually I could also use them in the future.. but I'm here to understand once and for all how to size a computer to my needs.

It has to do with bandwidth required. If your incoming signal is 1080 50i/60i/25p or 720 50p it will use 1,5gpbs per port. If your signal is 1080 50p it will use 3gbps so for 4 cameras you need 12gbps bandwidth to be used. Also your quad card is like this? https://www.ebay.com/itm...D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5bf27-0ZQ if yes this is the 1st gen of bmd quad cards that it works in pci 4x slot and the maximum resolution can do is 1080 p25/p30 so it is 4x1.5gbps bandwidth