GPU usage in Watchout

[Gray]

Hey all,

 

I'm currently speccing up an watchout server. A little background; we're an corporate events company who provide multiscreen and projection mapped sets. We currently do this in house primarily through two edge blended projectors. We've been hiring in media severs more and more such as watchout and eventuz. 

 

So onto my real question; is there much advantage to a more weighty graphics card in watchout? From reading the forums it certainly seems that much of the processing is done on CPU rather than GPU and faster media (pci based) with lightly compressed video files is the answer. 

 

We certainly won't be outputting to 4k any time soon due to our projection stock. 

 

I've currently specced a 7100 as per the recommendation by dataton. I do not believe we will need more than four outputs, if we did I'd certainly look at the w9100. However at 4x the price is it worth it over the 7100? 

 

In the same vain is there any advance to an 8100 over the 7100? This only comes in at a third more than the 7100 here in the UK. 

 

Certainly with the introduction of HAP it seems like an increased GPU spec would be useful. I understand this is relatively new teritory in Watchout.

 

Thanks in advance for your help. 

 

[Thomas Leong]

Those with more insights into the way the program works should be able to give a more technically accomplished answer. But below are my two cents :

 

AFAIK, all Tweens, mask effects, blending, and Virtual Displays use the gpu. I reckon the 3D Projectors too. So a gpu with at least 2GB of VRAM would be a minimum, unless you know for sure your program does not use this and that, and only plays back two or more video layers to no more than 2 displays. If latter is the case, even a W2100 would do for 2 outputs only (not more; i.e. W2100 does not work with a MST hub to extend to more outputs).

 

Having 4 outputs available can be a blessing. I've been using one of my 4 outputs (in particular the 1st output), to a monitor in front of me, and the other 3 to the projectors. This way, if I need to access the Display PC's desktop, it is right in front of me, not 100 yards away for these old eyes, in small fonts.

 

Being an event company, more often than not, you do not know the material handed in for playback so generally, the W7100 is a good choice. Powerful enough for eventualities, and allows you to concentrate on delivering without worry.

 

The W8100, being a dual slot card, has vents at the rear to expel the heat generated by card. The W7100 is a single slot card and its vents are at the top of the card. The heat is therefore expelled back into the pc chassis. If you are able to direct the airflow in the chassis and plan for this, the W7100 is fine. Else, the W8100 is better.