Anybody running Pr CC18 on a MacPro5,1 and NOT getting dropped frames?

[Merlin Vandenbossche]

The explanation that this mac is outdated feels like BS to me. While I can’t replicate your setup, I would try some of the following:

A/ Run the ‘standard’ maintenance for Premiere Pro:

– Manually delete caches and databases:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/Premiere-Pro/FAQ-How-to-clean-delete-or-trash-media-cache-files/td-p/8324672

– Reset preferences and plugins:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/Premiere-Pro/FAQ-How-to-reset-trash-preferences-in-Premiere-Pro/m-p/8236158

Be aware the reset does just that: reset all your preferences. So remember to go through preferences again and re-activate your key layout.

– Reset or re-create workspaces if the UI behaves strangely.

B/ Make sure to run the right drivers for Nvidia on MacOS.

I strongly advice you to use Nvidia’s web drivers instead of Apple’s, you can find the latest here:
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/cuda/mac-driver-archive/

Also never update to MacOS Mojave or beyond, as CUDA is no longer supported since MacOS 10.14.

C/ Test for hardware faults.

Dropped frames may also occur due to drive or RAM memory failure. Test the use of your system on other software (Free DaVinci resolve), run tests on the drive and memory. Check the status of the RAID, the speed of the drives (blackmagic disk speed test), test the memory (https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/check-memory-mac/targetText=Testing%20your%20RAM%20with%20Apple's,and%20let%20the%20test%20complete.)

Good luck on your troubleshooting hunt!

[Jim Curtis]

Thank you, Merlin, for your very detailed reply.

I have tried almost everything you suggested already. I’m no babe in the woods on Premiere, and I have a routine I perform at every sign of trouble that includes what you suggested as well as uninstalling and reinstalling the app.

I’ve also found some testers for my GPU to see if that’s the weak link, but it seems to be performing gangbusters on renders. I just installed XRG, which displays a graph of CPU and GPU usage, and they’re going full speed ahead. However, my suspicion is that the GPU is somehow responsible.

If I switch Pr to the Software Only Renderer, my sequences play longer before the indicator turns yellow. It eventually turns yellow no matter which of the Renderer options I select: CUDA, Metal, Open CL, or Software Only.

What I haven’t tried yet is installing Resolve. I’m going to put that on my list.

I can get through my projects and deliver on time. It’s just annoying that I can’t play HD at all in Premiere without seeing frames dropping. Everything else seems to be A-OK.

It’s been a while since I did a RAM check. I’ll try that as well.

Thanks again!

Jim Curtis
jamesphilipcurtis.com

MacPro 5,1; 6-core 3.06 GHz; 128 GB DDR3 RAM all the same brand; 10.13.5; QT 7.6.6; Primary display: 4K HP Dreamcolor; secondary: 24\” HP DreamColor; Nvidia TITAN GPU; ATTO R680 RAID5 16TB; ATTO H680 HBA for HP LTO5 tape; USB3 PCIe card; latest drivers all around

[Erik Lundberg]

We got almost eight years from our 5,1:s (12 core w 64 GB internal memory, dual NVIDIA Quadro K5000 for Mac). Which is good by any accounts, I’d say. And took us from FCP 6, transitioning to Pr CS5.5, CS6 and then CC up until CC2018. Then we hit oh so many hurdles last fall trying to go to CC2019. To lift the OS enough to be able to run Pr CC2019 was feasible, BUT at the same time to find reliable drivers for our old NVIDIA Quadro cards was impossible. With drivers that gave us CUDA, the system in itself and GUI rendering was hopelessly unstable. Along with all the caveats Adobe released we could not see a way forward for us with these machines. The only road for us to get a stable system was reverting to CC2018 and Mac OS 10.11.16. As I recall it we couldn’t go to 10.13 and get stability at all in a way that we could rely on. Especially with CUDA.

The solution for us in the end was to switch from Mac to Windows. As an all Mac shop since the late 90’s, this was as you can imagine not done ligthly. But since the 5,1’s was due for replacement anyway (we can’t rely five more years on 7-8 year old machines), and Apple (at the time) had no real replacement that suited our needs we needed to take that step. Fortunately the switch was rather smooth, we could use all our old I/O-cards (AJA) in the new towers and each machine was set up in less than half a work day. So minimum time lost.

I know that the config isn’t exactly the same as yours, the issues doesn’t match exactly either. But I think it can testify for issues with these (fine) old machines combined with newer OS/drivers.

Erik Lundberg

Technical Director, Media Technology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

[Jim Curtis]

Erik, you’ve given me a couple of ideas to try. One is reverting the OS to 10.11.x, which would be extremely painful, given that OSX Mail and other apps would likely rebel at a roll-back. Otherwise, I have a Quadro K5000 in my closet that I replaced with the Titan X. I might reinstall that, and see if anything improves.

I’m almost 100% certain that I’ve been playing in Pr without dropped frames in CC2018. A few months ago, I bought another used 5,1 late 2012 that has six 3.46 Mhz cores that replaced my other 5, 1 late 2012 with six 3.03 cores. Both were running 10.13.6. It defies logic I would get worse performance, but seeing as how that was the last big change I made, seems to indict it as a potential suspect. I could swap those as well, but that creates a licensing gauntlet for a bunch of plug-ins and other apps.

I did consider going to Windows after Apple introduced that silly trash can. The only road block was that my LTO app is Mac only BRU PE. I would have to do my tape backups and restores over a gigabit network. That was before 10GB ethernet was as widely available and as cheap as it is now.

Maybe it’s time to reconsider. I’m 67, and work has been coming in regularly. I only plan to retire when my clients stop calling. I’m not too keen on spending $10-20K on the new MacPro, whenever it comes out. My other consideration is getting a used iMac Pro, which are still around $5-6K, and a Thunderbolt PCIe adapter so I can keep using my RAID and LTO without buying new hardware.

The reason I have stuck with the towers was primarily to use Pr with CUDA. The Titan GPU has made a huge difference in real-time playback (although at reduced resolution), and rendering is so fast that long renders and exports are a vestige of bygone days (I deal mainly with short form – under five minutes). But, since CUDA support is also disappearing on OSX, some adjustments seem to be in order.

CC18 is stable, and as long as it’s working, and I can deliver product, I can live without the one thing in CC19, the change to the color wheel, that I’d like to use if I could. Adobe keeps adding crap for amateurs that makes it less stable.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

Jim Curtis
jamesphilipcurtis.com

MacPro 5,1; 6-core 3.46 GHz; 128 GB DDR3 RAM all the same brand; 10.13.6; QT 7.6.6; Primary display: 4K HP Dreamcolor; secondary: 24\” HP DreamColor; Nvidia TITAN X GPU; ATTO R680 RAID5 16TB; ATTO H680 HBA for HP LTO5 tape; USB3 PCIe card; latest drivers all around