New NX Workstation...

[LightPrism]

If you were configuring a new NX Express w/Expansion Board TODAY,
what complete configuration would you chose?

The usurping of 2 PCIe slots makes it tough if you want a very fast External Raid that uses a PCIe slot for wide read/write bandwidth. Most choices leave you only 3 PCIe slots - so 2 are consumed by the NX; 1 by the Video Card.

[gdame]

If you were configuring a new NX Express w/Expansion Board TODAY,
what complete configuration would you chose?

The usurping of 2 PCIe slots makes it tough if you want a very fast External Raid that uses a PCIe slot for wide read/write bandwidth. Most choices leave you only 3 PCIe slots - so 2 are consumed by the NX; 1 by the Video Card.

I would go with the ASUS P5K64 WS, An Intel Core 2 CPU that supports 1333 FSB (i.e. 9650 Quad Extreme) & OCZ DDR3 Platinum 1333 Memory.

This recipe plays well together.

Install a SATA-300 drive on sata-1, an image clone on sata-2, a pioneer Blu-Ray burner on sata-3 that's it! No onboard raid.

Quadro FX1500 or higher in the top (blue) PCIe 16x slot
The HighPoint RocketRaid 2310 right below it. Set this up in the raid level that you prefer. A four drive array (4 x 1TB) set up as 0 + 1 averages 177MB/sec. That is with full redundancy!

Put the NX Express (PCIe Version) and expansion board in the two other PCIe slots.

You will still have two 32 bit PCI slots available for whatever legacy product you may need.

So, this will give you Quad Core, 1333 FSB and screaming performance!

George Dame
Grass Valley / Canopus System Integrator - 10 Years

[Bassman]

Thanks George, great system advice.

One question regarding raid.

If the four drives were setup as JBOD using eSATA, and a three camera HD shoot was edited with a camera per drive, how much is a raid setup needed?

Would the JBOD have enough throughput to edit HDV, XDCAM HD, DVCPRO HD, 4:2:2 ?

Or another way to ask is at what bitrate/color space of HD is a raid needed?

Thanks!

[Imagine Video]

Gdame

I have followed your setup apart from the video card - can you reccomend an alternative?

ATI 1950 PRO ?? for this setup?


Thanks

[gdame]

Thanks George, great system advice.

One question regarding raid.

If the four drives were setup as JBOD using eSATA, and a three camera HD shoot was edited with a camera per drive, how much is a raid setup needed?

Would the JBOD have enough throughput to edit HDV, XDCAM HD, DVCPRO HD, 4:2:2 ?

Or another way to ask is at what bitrate/color space of HD is a raid needed?

Thanks!

Bassman, If you really want external media storage I would change out the Rocket Raid 2310 for an external model. maybe and 8 channel raid card and and strip four volumes. Two drives to a volume, you will still get the 177MB/sec average. I always have suggested that the raid array be about twice as fast on the test as your average data rate required by the project. You would need to try various combinations. Each project has different storage needs.

[gdame]

Gdame

I have followed your setup apart from the video card - can you reccomend an alternative?

ATI 1950 PRO ?? for this setup?


Thanks

Why not the Quadro FX1500? There are chaeper Quadro cards. But actually any single slot PCIe 16 card with 256MB of memory ought to work just fine. Gone are the days of Edius needing a GPU for overlay and transition performance, unless you are staying with older versions of edius and still using Xplode. My suggestion is move forward and if you gotta render a few special transitions, just do it!

[Imagine Video]

No dont use explode and if I need to rendering is not the end of the world!!

Can you recommend any cards you have installed other than your QUADRO cards
as they are out of my buget.............

But I am watching one on ebay!!

But would like an alternative if I dont get the fx1500

Thanks for your help

Cathryn

[Aristotelis]

Any new ATI board will do and will be much cheaper...
X2600
X2900
X3850
X3870

[Imagine Video]

Would that be the

ATI RADEON HD3850 as can't see any with X prefix?


thanks again

[Aristotelis]

Yes, my mistake...HD is the correct prefix for all the above...

[gdame]

ATI & Nvidia Cards will both work. If you utilize dual monitors for your desktop then I would prefer Nvidia as I like the desktop management software better than ATI's. A PNY Quadro FX 570 with 2 x DVI and 256MB DDR2 is less than $200. This is what I would use, but any single slot 256MB PCIe video card will do the job! I am just partial to Quadro cards and their dual monitor support.

[Aristotelis]

I agree about the desktop management features but in general ATI boards give better characteristics for the same price...that is why I prefer them...
also it is good sometimes to have xplode in RT...

[Imagine Video]

Aristotelis and gdame Thanks to both of you!!

I will try the ati and I may look into the 570 as this card is much closer to my bujet.

This equipment is far more expensive in the UK and its not just VAT that increases the price! these componants are more expensive to start with!!
smaller amount of people wanting them!:-)

Cathryn

[Bassman]

Bassman, If you really want external media storage I would change out the Rocket Raid 2310 for an external model. maybe and 8 channel raid card and and strip four volumes. Two drives to a volume, you will still get the 177MB/sec average. I always have suggested that the raid array be about twice as fast on the test as your average data rate required by the project. You would need to try various combinations. Each project has different storage needs.

Thanks George, but I can't try different variations, that's why I am asking you, a system integrator!

I am just trying to find out at what point a RAID setup is needed - HDV, XDCAM HD, DVCPRO HD, 4:2:2... compared to just a single drive per camera @ 55 MB/sec.

In speaking with Canopus techs, it seems the processor is doing a lot of the work in the "lower" forms of HD.

I am researching a system upgrade and am trying to learn as much as I can.

Thanks

[kikillo]

What is more or less the price of this system.

Thank you