Going to invest in a new windows based DaVinci Resolve computer

[Pepijn Klijs]

I recently build a windows based resolve system as well. I went for the gtx 580 as gpu and a gtx 560 Ti for UI, which works to my satisfaction. I also got a decklink sdi card and a firewire 800 card. I put everything in an Asus p9x79 deluxe motherboard, which is similar to the recommended pro version, but has also blue tooth and wifi build in.

But regarding the gtx options… It really depends on what you want to handle with the system. In my case it’s not gonna be higher than HD 1080 so that’s why I don’t have a red rocket card for example.

One consideration is your UI card. You can have something smaller than a gtx 580 for example, but that will also limit your performance in other applications than resolve, such as Abobe CS 6 or Avid, who tend to use the UI card for their processing and realtime capabilities. So that’s why I got a gtx 560 Ti for that.

If you want more advice here I think it’s good to add to your post what you want to do with the workstation.

Good luck!

Editor/Colorist, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
http://www.pepijnklijs.nl

[Jon Stokke]

Hi,

Thanks for coming back to me.

I’m going to run CS6 (After Effects) and Avid, as well as DaVinci. It’ll mainly be used for avid and resolve.

[Pepijn Klijs]

Well in that case it’s wise to select a good ui card as well. I’m not an expert in what cards work well with Avid, but I’m sure when you do a search here and there you’ll find some benchmarks and experiences.

About your first post; I don’t know too much about the gtx 680 or 690 and how well they perform. But people have been posting about that here as well. I just recently read an article that claimed that nvidia took out a lot of 3d horsepower from the GTX 680 compared to the GTX 580, so it seems like the GTX 580 is still a good allround choice. Plus it’s getting cheaper and cheaper since the 680, especially if you dare to buy from eBay. Lot of gamers selling them cause they want the latest, newest gtx. So that’s how I got mine for 185 GBP.

Editor/Colorist, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
http://www.pepijnklijs.nl

[Andrew Stone]

Hi Jon,

In case you haven’t read the Resolve 8 Configuration Guide for Windows, I have posted it here, as the Blackmagic site has been down (for me) over the weekend.

They are specific about the motherboard, the ASUS P9X79 Pro, and for good reason. It has 4 16 lane PCI slots which is very unusual for a motherboard. Lots of people have had problems with their windows boxes when they have had the lower end Blackmagic capture cards in the machine. The threads are here and some are within the past few weeks. If you are thinking about Thunderbolt, I would seriously drop the notion for a year or so, as the two boards that are being released are not fully implemented versions of it and more importantly the motherboards are not blessed by BM.

I would stick with the GTX 580 for the DaVinci processing card as it is a tried and true warrior with Resolve. If you are concerned about Premiere Pro, the Quadro 4000 is considered one of the better matches for this NLE. Unfortunately, between the two cards you will be spending a bit of money and you will need a beefy PSU, and possible two to divide up the load.

With the posted config guide, my suggestion is… read it carefully and then read it again. Your answers lie within.

-Andrew

[Craig Howard]

If I may tack onto this thread.

I am also re-jinking a Win 7 computer to accomodate Resolve

I am wondering if a FX3800 Quadro (for GUI) will work with the other nvidia (cuda) cards being suggested?

I also have a BM SDi card installed

HD only is the intention.

Other Apps – Adobe CS6 Production Premium Suite.

I read the Windows config guide but it did not supply this info.

Craig Howard
Shooter Film Company
Auckland
New Zealand

Adobe CS3 Premiere Pro Production Premium Suite
Windows XP32:Assus P5k Mob,4mb Ram, 1333 fsb
P2 Workflows

[Andrew Stone]

I do not know if the card will work, however, from a troubleshooting perspective, I would leave the BM Card out of the computer until you have determined whether or not the card will work.

If you follow the recommendations with the only difference being the UI card, you should easily determine if it’s going to work or not.

-Andrew

[Rohit Gupta]

The Quadro FX 3800 should work just fine.