Another question about BlueIris Servers...

[DaveK]

Now that I have 5 Dahua 4300S series cameras up and running, I can see that additional computer horsepower is a definite plus. I'm still keeping the cameras at 3MP resolution, but have backed the frame rates down to 5/sec. I'm sometimes seeing "stalls" when recording events, resulting in time-gaps in the middle of an event clip. Since I'm running this in a Core i3 4330 desktop, I suspect it just can't keep up with the video streams (it's been great for most everything else, however).

As I've said elsewhere, I'm primarily looking for a Core i7 4790 (possibly 4770) system that should be easily able to handle some additional cameras as well. Unfortunately, deals are slow to appear and (so far) have been snagged before I could hit the [BUY] button.

My question... Are there high-end AMD systems that can handle the video as well or better than the Core i7 beasts? Any recommendations? I've been an Intel fan for decades, but am willing to consider the other side.

 

[Zxel]

There are AMD CPU's that can handle it, however, none of them are as power efficient as an Intel CPU, best to stick with Intel for now.

Of course I'm sure there will be an AMD fan that will jump in an immediately say different - lol.

 

[DaveK]

I hear you on that! At this point, I can build an i7-4790, 8gB RAM, Win 8.1Pro system for a little over $600. Of course, I'm scavenging a couple of 1TB hard drives and a server case to do that, but that's what you do with serviceable parts! I've seen some referb units with similar specs that went for low to mid $500 range, but those are hard to spot, and harder to close the deal.

 

[fenderman]

@Zxel is on the money on this...AMD is not the processor to use on a 24/7 NVR...they are WAY less power efficient than intel and their processors that can come close in performance do not have integrated graphics...so you need to add a video card that will draw more power and create another point of failure and heat..Using intel over amd can easily save you 100 a year or more depending on the processors...
First make sure its actually your processor that is causing your stalls..is you cpu maxing out? Have you tried using direct to disk? or limiting life frame rates? your 4330 is pretty powerful and should be able to handle 15mp...
There are often great deals on dell optiplex systems...When on sale the i7-4770 will be about 500-550..wait for an intel system with integrated graphics...
If you dont want to wait you can pay 680 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-OptiPlex-7020-Mini-Tower-Intel-4th-Gen-Core-i7-4790-8GB-RAM-500GB-HD-W8Pro-/231459791279?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e41421af
If you are not going to add more cams, you can easily do with an i5 haswell... http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-EliteDesk-800-G1-SFF-Core-i5-4570-3-2-GHz-16-GB-DDR3-2-TB-HD-Win-8-1-PRO-/201220506153?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ed9ad4229 that is an S version and is VERY power efficient...loaded with a large drive and way too much ram...
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Desktops-AllInOnes-/171957/i.html?LH_BIN=1&_from=R40|R40|R40&_sop=15&_nkw=dell+optiplex+7020
I usually find deals for about 300 for the i5 haswell, hp's or dells....the small form factor ones are cheaper but you may want room to add more drives...

 

[fenderman]

I hear you on that! At this point, I can build an i7-4790, 8gB RAM, Win 8.1Pro system for a little over $600. Of course, I'm scavenging a couple of 1TB hard drives and a server case to do that, but that's what you do with serviceable parts! I've seen some referb units with similar specs that went for low to mid $500 range, but those are hard to spot, and harder to close the deal.

Set up an alert on slickdeals.com so you know when there is a sale...or follow the dell outlet on twitter.

 

[DaveK]

Yeah, I was thinking the 4330 should handle the 5fps, so you're right that there may be something else going on... I'll try to glean a little more from the Help pages and then snoop around my setup.

I'm definitely leaning towards the i7 system, as I anticipate more and bigger MP cameras down the line. As far as buying vs building, my breakeven point is probably around $550 to $575 (for the refurb). My build is a little more expensive, but I end up with an OS that I can transfer to a new computer should I want to, rather than being stuck with an OEM install.

Since this will be a box dedicated to Video Recording, is there any significant reason to go with Windows 8.1 vs 8.1Pro?

 

[fenderman]

The 4330 should be able to handle 15fps for each camera at 3mp...using direct to disk...If your cpu is not overloaded dont waste money upgrading now...wait till they release broadwell or skylake for desktops later this year.
The benefit of pro is that it you can use windows remote desktop if you run a headless server, though you can just use teamviewer....also if you ever intend to use it as a media center you cant install windows media center on 8 unless you have the pro version (not sure how 10 is going to affect that)...bottom line is you are probably best of with the cheaper home version..
as far as the transferring the os..windows 10 will probably be pretty cheap anyway..and the only way to get you 550 is to use older cases and parts..
The processor is 300 (250 if you live near a microcenter) + 100 for the OS, 50 for power supply, then you still need a reliable board, memory, case and hard drive..
The nice thing about the dell/hp business machines is that they have a next business day warranty for 3 years...ive never had to use it, but its nice to know if there is an issue you dont have to wait to rma a motherboard or power supply...because you wont have your NVR for a while..

 

[DaveK]

My cost picture for a build (if I do it now) is this, with all purchased parts from Amazon Prime:

Core i7 4790 CPU -- $299
MSI Z97 PC Mate Motherboard -- $90
Corsair Vengance 8GB RAM -- $68
Corsair CX430 Power Supply -- $45
ASUS DVDrive -- $21
MS Windows 8Pro OS -- $75.

I have spare TB drives and a good server case to put all that in, so that works out to $598 (if I can still do addition in my head). And, of course, there are a few extras I'd add to any system, like hot-swappable SATA drive bays (or just SATA toasters!), but those aren't horribly expensive. I've done the headless server thing before, as well, but it was a while back with Windows XP Pro, and I have to step back on the learning curve to do that.

All that having been said... unless a super deal on a refurb Dell i7 4790 pops up, I'll probably wait a while to see what I can get out of the i3 4330 I'm currently using. Once I've tackled remote viewing within my network (no internet access for now!) I'll deal with D2D.

 

[fenderman]

Sounds like a plan..Note the windows 8 pro is not 75 dollars...that is just for a pro upgrade pack...

 

[DaveK]

An update here... The computer build is done!

After prowling the Dell outlet store for a while, I gave up and built a new server for running BI...

Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC Mate ($90 after rebate)
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790 ($300)
Memory: Crucial Ballixtix 8GB ($50 after rebate)
Power Supply: Corsair CX430 ($40)
DVD Drive: Asus ($21)
OS: Windows 8 Pro ($75) (upgraded to Windows 8.1 Pro, and yes, it is the full operating system)

Total: $555

Tower Case,
2 each 1TB hard drives
1 each 250GB hard drive

Above items salvaged from extra parts laying around from previous computer builds and teardowns.

Now just to get everything running on the new server!

 

[Git]

Congrats on getting it up and running

I just wanted to say that I have been running a 'home server' 24/7 for a number of years now - usually when I upgraded my computer I recycled my old one to to be my home server

Several months ago, I decided to build a new server - partially because of the cpu requirements of Blue Iris. For the first time I went with a true 'server' motherboard, and boy I am glad I did....

I had never heard or cared about "IPMI" before and it has made all the difference in the world for me. IPMI = Intelligent Platform Management Interface. Basically it allows you to remotely control the computer - even before it boots. I am able to power it off/on, check temps, even install the OS using 'virtual media' that resides on MY computer.

I think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread

Anyways, I just thought I would throw it out there if anyone is looking to build a new system. I think it is well worth the extra money for this feature

here is a youtube video I found

 

[DaveK]

IPMI sounds pretty cool! Unfortunately for me, it's another learning curve I don't want to tackle unless it offers features I really need. I can manage to get Windows Remote Desktop working, and that does the job without having to learn the in's and out's of IPMI. And since I only need to have access inside my home network, the features like remote power management aren't needed much.