Broadcasting Rig

[jamed2017]

Hi guys,

Building a broadcasting box for work, mainly running livestream studio.

Any advice or changes / any problems ...let me know, very much appreciated.


Asus X99-E WS Socket 2011-v3 8-Channel HD Audio CEB Motherboard

Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (4x16GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz C16 Memory Kit - Black

Intel Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition 3GHz

Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80 Plus Titanium Digital Power Supply

Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

2x WD Red Pro 2TB Serial ATA-600 3.5" 7200 rpm Internal Hard Drive

Samsung 250GB 850 EVO M.2 SSD - OS

Samsung 850 EVO 2TB 2.5inch SSD - Broadcast capture

Windows 10 Professional 64-bit OEM

4x Blackmagic Design DecLink Mini Recorder

1x Blackmagic Design DecLink Mini Monitor



All going in a rack case, because it absolutely has to.


My biggest concern so far is RAM compatibility.



Thanks in advance
Jim

 

[WYP]

Is this a new build or do you already have some parts? Also, is pricing much of a factor for you (I assume not)?

The main thing is to be sure that you have enough PCIe lanes for all those blackmagic cards and that your motherboard will allow you to use them optimally.

 

[tinytomlogan]

That PSU is totally overkill. No matter what GPU you use (but youve not chosen one and do need to)

Memory should be fine but because its 16GB sticks you may need to get handy in the BIOS.

It doesnt read as a professional rig spec if Im honest

 

[jamed2017]

Hi WYP,

Pricing isn't much of a factor and its a new build.


Thanks
Jim

That PSU is totally overkill. No matter what GPU you use (but youve not chosen one and do need to)

Hi Tom,

Forgot to add, looking at an Asus GeForce GTX 1060. Not for gaming, more for display outputs and if it Avo AI in the future.

It doesnt read as a professional rig spec if I'm honest

That's okay, it's why I'm asking for advise. I've based the rig on the existing Livestream HD170 which isn't available in the UK.


Thanks
Jim

 

[tinytomlogan]

PSU wise even a 650W would give you a solid 200w overhead so 1500 is just an epeen item.

If this is all going in a rack are you not better off going for cheaper non 'blingy' parts?

1060 Strix for example is the most expensive 1060 you can buy ( I think) and Im honestly struggling to understand why its listed. Not being an arse just need you to explain to me what the requirements for the hardware is other than that software

 

[jamed2017]

Hi Tom,

I'll step the PSU down to an 850w. Just trying to leave room for future expansion.

I take your point on the GPU. We're going to replace it with an 4GB AMD FirePro W5100.


The primary purpose is to capture from multiple SDI sources / HDMI Sources simultaneously.
ISO Record
Live graphics
Broadcast quality Live output
Stream to livestream.


In the future, it will also be used as an AI Media server
http://www.avolites.com/ai-features

Some days it'll be running for 10 days at a time so reliability will be a big factor.


Thanks
Jim

 

[tinytomlogan]

Its totally beyond my knowledge, it sounds to me like you really need something much more professional / server based.

Xeon - EEC memory etc.

 

[jamed2017]

I was thinking the same, but then I started looking at the specs of the prebuilt live stream boxes.

https://livestream.com/studio/tech-specs



They don't seem particularly spectacular.


Thanks
Jim

 

[looz]

I'd consider a dual-socket Xeon build, since single core performance isn't a factor. Even two old 6 cores would spank that i7. You can find used servers at decent prices on ebay. Obviously new ones are available but prices can be quite high.

I also wouldn't use an AIO in a professional rig, it's just more parts which can go wrong for very little benefit in this case.

Depending on what you're doing, you might do fine with a low end CPU and capture cards, or high end CPU(s) and no special capture hardware.

 

[jamed2017]

Updated spec

ASUS X99-E WS SLi/CrossFire USB 3.1
Intel Core i7-6950X Extreme Edition
Windows 10 Professional 64Bit DVD English OS
WD Red Pro 2TB Serial ATA-600 3.5" 7200 rpm Internal Hard Drive
Corsair 64GB Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz RAM/Memory Kit 4x 16GB
250GB Samsung 850 EVO, M.2 (2280) SSD, SATA3 6Gb/s, MGX Controller, 3D V-NAND, Read 540MB/s, Write 500MB/s, 97k IOPS
Samsung 850 EVO 2TB 2.5inch SSD
Noctua NF-R8 REDUX PWM 1800RPM 80mm Quiet Case Fan x8
Noctua NF-F12 IndustrialPPC 3000RPM PWM 120mm High Performance Fan x2
Noctua NHD15
4U Standard Chassis 10 x 3.5" HDD + 1 x 2.5" HDD/SSD + 3 x 5.25" Bays
Blackmagic Design DeckLink Studio 4k
Blackmagic Design Decklink Mini Recorder 4k x2
Blackmagic DesignDeclink Quad 2
AMD FirePro™ W7100
Akasa InterConnect EX card reader for 5.25" Bay - 5 x USB 3.0 card reader 4 port USB 3.0 Hub
Corsair HX850i 850W Modular Power Supply

Taking onboard the above advice.


Any further feedback appreciated.


I've taken this from the mobo spec on Asus
8 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 3200(O.C.)/3000(O.C.)/2800(O.C.)/2666(O.C.)/2400(O.C.)/2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory *1
8 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 2400/2133/1866 MHz ECC, Un-buffered Memory *2
8 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 2400/2133/1866 MHz ECC, Register Memory *2
Quad Channel Memory Architecture
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs.
* Refer to www.asus.com for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists).

I can't find that RAM on any QVL, are we sure it'll work or am I better going for 2400? Also, as the board can support 128gb. Am I better:

A. Going for 8x 8gb sticks to get to 64gb
B. Going for 4x 16gb sticks to get 64, leaving room for future expansion.



Thanks
Jim

 

[tinytomlogan]

A: D15 wont fit in a 4U chassis.

B: if youre putting the kit in a rack no point buying quiet fans. Racks are not meant to be quiet.

 

[looz]

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/mL822R

I fiddled with Pcpartpicker a bit, you might find building around components like this a more suitable for the purpose.

Note, it might be excessive.

Also, the Noctuas are there because they were available on the website, something like Supermicro SNK-P0050AP4 would work justfine at a lower price.

 

[jamed2017]

A: D15 wont fit in a 4U chassis.

We have looked at that, having looked at the CAD drawings it measures up there would be 3mm clearance. I think this is a little too tight and i'll address this with a smaller cooler, suggestions welcome. I picked the NHD15 because the D14 was the daddy when I built my last rig.

B: if you're putting the kit in a rack no point buying quiet fans. Racks are not meant to be quiet.

I agree with the "racks aren't meant to be quiet" part, however, this will be in a shockmounted flightcase. It'll be used in conferences and events where noise would be an issue. The aim is to get as much airflow through the chasis whilst keeping it as quiet as possible.


Looz,

I've gone through your PC part picker however on the software website
"Note: There are known issues when using an Intel Xeon E5 processor. We recommend avoiding these processors when considering a system to use with Livestream Producer."



Thanks for your efforts.
Jim

 

[Kilbane]

I've gone through your PC part picker however on the software website
"Note: There are known issues when using an Intel Xeon E5 processor. We recommend avoiding these processors when considering a system to use with Livestream Producer."

But you will be using Livestream Studio according to your original post. Livestream producer is not compatible with Livestream studio in a windows environment.

Studio however will work fine with Xeons, the more cores the better.

But I am with TTL on this, the build you are looking at is all using consumer parts that are enthusiast class rather than more professional class items that offer stability and power efficiency along with more PCIe slots etc for future expansion.

You would be much better off using dual Xeons on a proper server board with ECC RAM.