CPU 99-100% all the time, would dedicated GPU help?

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beley

n3wb
Apr 7, 2018
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I have a somewhat entry level but relatively newer PC - an Acer TC-780 Core i3-7100 3.90 Ghz with 8 GB RAM and onboard graphics.

5 Amcrest IP cameras some 2k some 3k, recording at 30fps maximum

CPU is hitting 99-100% often and I think dropping a lot of frames.

I know Blue Iris recommends an i5 or better, but I had this computer laying around so I tried it just to see if it would work. It looks like I do need to upgrade, but I'm not sure where I will get the most benefit.

Would I be better off...

a) upgrading the CPU to an i5

b) adding a lower-end GPU

c) just buying/building a completely new computer

Appreciate the input...
 

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beley said:
I have a somewhat entry level but relatively newer PC - an Acer TC-780 Core i3-7100 3.90 Ghz with 8 GB RAM and onboard graphics.

5 Amcrest IP cameras some 2k some 3k, recording at 30fps maximum

CPU is hitting 99-100% often and I think dropping a lot of frames.

I know Blue Iris recommends an i5 or better, but I had this computer laying around so I tried it just to see if it would work. It looks like I do need to upgrade, but I'm not sure where I will get the most benefit.

Would I be better off...

a) upgrading the CPU to an i5

b) adding a lower-end GPU

c) just buying/building a completely new computer

Appreciate the input...
Click to expand...
step one, see wiki on optimizing BI and see new substream feature. Also you dont need 30fps.
 
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You are not shooting a Hollywood movie. Set your frame rate to 15 FPS and set the Iframe to 15 also.
If possible go to 16 GB memory on two separate memory sticks to utilize two memory channels.
Are you using hardware acceleration for graphics processing ?

read the wiki in the blue bar at the top of the page .

Optimizing Blue Iris's CPU Usage

Blue Iris uses a lot of CPU time. In most Blue Iris installations, your CPU is the limiting factor which determines how many cameras you can have. As such, it is extremely important to optimize your configuration to ensure you can get the most out of your system while consuming the least...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com
 
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@fenderman @SouthernYankee Thanks. I'm trying to change those settings. When I update the FPS to 15 on the cameras and save, when I go back into the settings, it shows 30 FPS again. Any idea what I could be doing wrong?
 
Provide a screen shot of the camera settings from the camera.
 
The only way to change the FPS, bit rate and iframe rate is IN THE CAMERA itself, typically through its' own web interface. BI can only process what it receives and cannot change what the camera sends.
 
Here are a few settings. The camera seems to only be recording at 0.5fps but keeps resetting the max to 30fps. All the cameras are doing this - I will set it at 15 fps and click "OK" and then when I go back into settings 5 seconds later it's at 30fps again.
 

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See the post immediately above your screen shots.
 
Also to keep in mind is that if you have a dedicated GPU you "might" hear the fans running. You can however, run both GPU's at the same time, no issues with that, but perhaps better to use Intel's iGPU exclusively for BI
 
That setting goes "way back" and I think it's still there to show what BI is "seeing" from the camera.

On the BI console, upper left, is a graphic of a graph with a bent lightening bolt on it. Click that and look at your camera performance from there, there are multiple tabs to show important statistics with camera performance being one of them.

Rather than upgrading to an i5(processor only), have a look at upgrading to a used business class Dell or HP from eBay. Way more bang for the buck ratio and would provide future proofing if you expand your system. Given that surveillance cameras are like rabbits, multiplying exponentially, that can be a big advantage.
 
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BI does NOT set camera values. The camera values are set in the camera. The FPS must be set in the camera.

There is no need to upgrade your CPU. you have a configuration problem. Look at the the following web site for BI CPUs and what they are processing. The most important number to compare in MP/SEC. The CPU load can vary depending on the type of motion detection.

Blue Iris Update Helper

Blue Iris Update Helper
biupdatehelper.hopto.org
 
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