My personal experience with an i5 and Intel Integrated Graphics is 85% CPU usage for a single cam via usb3 magewell dongle, few titles and a single 720p stream.
I can't say it's ok.

Thank you for the info!

Yes, my Lenovo X1 Carbon is as follows:

- Intel i5-3427U @ 1.8 GHz (boost to 2.3 GHz)
- Intel HD4000 graphics
- 8 GB Memory
- 256 GB SSD

That was max optioned as that model was offered at the time.

The GTX graphics is not an absolute requirement, but it will limit what you can do in vMix. vMix uses the GPU for layering, scaling, etc. With simple shots, limited screen capture, feeding a hangout via webcam emulation works adequately on this laptop.

Incidentally, Woot currently has some decent gaming laptops offered in the $700-850 range. Some are i7 with nVidia GTX.

@ mmmorlandotv

Be aware that only the latest generation of Quadro P series graphics cards will offer optimal benefits for vMix operation.
The Quadros are high end graphics cards, yes, but not great for gaming, which is the technology vMix takes advantage of (why the GTX are recommended).


Ice

Understandable. I think though, if people are doing 720p with Intel integrated graphics, then a Quadro (whatever series it may be) will do the job.

I only mix 2 HD cams. The mixing is done pre-capture card. So its not 2 individual live feeds. Just 1. The most we do is simple titling and small logo at the top.

@ mmmorlandotv

I'm not saying that the card wont work, it's more that it is not designed for gamers and has features and a price tag that don't necessarily benefit vMix. Others have made the mistake of thinking "expensive high end graphics card = better" which is not always the case when it comes to vMix and the Quadros on a price vs performance comparison with the GeForce GTXs. I was just trying to point that out so that your expectations are not overly inflated...



Ice

No, I absolutely understand. Dont let the lack of proper communication on a forum confuse you.

I GREATLY appreciate everyones advice.

I wasnt under the impression that a high end Quadro would make vMix broadcast 4k 3D IMAX for me.

When I was picking out cards for my video editing machine...which also turned into my vMix streaming machine...I went through the whole Quadro vs GTX dilemma

My point was that I would shell out on a PC build with proper card but my needs for mobile are quite simple. Im not trying to produce a Michael Jackson concert quality broadcast. Even if I had that equipment on the PC Build at church, I still wouldnt need to do so much lol.

Basically I was just tired of lugging around a monitor + large PC + keyboard & mouse + extension cords to power everything + EVERYTHING ELSE

I just want a simple laptop whether its a 2005 or 2017 in the $300 range that I can take, do a simple 2 Cam mix and put out 720p with very simple titling.

Last night I pushed my PC build to the limits...I had an event at another church and lugged my equipment there. Its an i3-2100.

I did 720 to Youtube, FB and I also did an external output to OBS where the signal was picked up at another location and spread. My CPU was at 85-98%. If I opened up anything else, it would hit 100% and start buffering. So I just left vMix and OBS open and did simple titling, a small PNG graphic and intro/outro videos.

So with that, I think that the $300 laptop I picked up, will serve me well for the simple tasks I do.

Normally I just stream to YT and FB. The external output to OBS was something new because of a peculiar situation.

I first wanted to pick up a used Macbook running and i5 or i7. But for $300-$400 I was only getting Intel graphics. Thats why I was asking about whether or not Intel graphics would be able to handle my situation or not.

***2nd Update***

So the reason I had to use 1080i59.94 instead of 1080p59.94 was because of the 3G level A vs level B situation.

Magewell was to send out a version 2 of their SDI to USB, which is nicer because it does 2k now. But I had to send back my original in RMA. The shipping back to China was $100+....Uh..no.

Thankfully though, in the Blackmagic forums, they pushed for both Level A and B support in their switchers and other devices. I updated my ATEM HD and now I have the option to select which level to use. This allowed my Magewell SDI to USB (version 1) to now function in 1080p59.94 perfectly!!

Its a sweet, simple and lightweight setup!

Totally recommend!