Question / Help What laptop GPU Required?

Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
I am interested in using OBS for broadcasting events in my area and that I participate in. However, I need to use a laptop for the sake of portability (different venue every weekend).

I'm using a Sabrent USB 2.0 capture card (yes, I know, I know) and everything works on my old XP beater using Hangout On Air. But I'd like to transition to Google Live, however all of the encoders I can find that are worth a damn don't support XP. For testing purposes, I tried running OBS on my Win7Pro netbook that I use to control my HAM radios...come to find out that Intel GMA 3150 graphics aren't sufficient. The sabrent module works no problem (they published W7 drivers...which i assume it would work on W10?)

Since it looks like I'll be needing a new laptop, I have to fit within a short budget..$200 or so, which puts me in the market for Celeron 2840 or 3050 laptops with Win10...would those have sufficient GPU's, or is an i5 required at a minimum? This is along the lines of what I would get: Toshiba Satellite CL45-C4330 . My other option is playing the game of fire at the local pawn shop and hoping for Win7. Being sight unseen, I'd have to know what to look for ahead of time.

What would be my best computer option at this point? This will be the only use for the laptop, so I can't see spending $600 on a computer i'll use once a week.

TIA
 
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Harold

Harold

Active Member
Celeron laptops are too low processing power wise. They won't be able to do the realtime encoding necessary.
You basically need current generation (4xxx, 5xxx, 6xxx) i5 or i7, and you are more likely to need the i7 if you're going laptop.
 
Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
Alright, well crap. Is there any specific GPU required or will the Intel HD graphics be sufficient?

I guess I'll play the pawn shop game or see if I can score a refurb from newegg or Tiger.

I just need to know exactly what works so I don't get burned.

FEIW, most of my streaming is 480x360 off the component video input. If they ever make a USB camera with decent outdoor exposure bracketing and focal range, then maybe that day I'll run HD.
 
FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
Consider a small-form-factor case, like a Shuttle or other mini/micro-ITX. Many are designed for portability (LAN parties), and will be far more cost-effective than a laptop, while also allowing the use of better parts and a thermal envelope that's better suited for computationally intensive tasks. Also upgradeable.

Real-time video encoding is one of THE CPU-heaviest tasks. An i5 is going to be the realistic minimum you'll want to bother with if you're laying out money. A Celeron is not going to cut it. Even less-so on-site, when network connectivity is likely going to be at a premium (more CPU = better compression = able to squeak by on lower available throughput, in a pinch).
 
Harold

Harold

Active Member
Another option for mobility would be a rackmount case in a portable DJ rack.

Your budget of $200 is unrealistically low for streaming.
 
FerretBomb

FerretBomb

Active Member
Yep, an Anvil case or similar coffin-case would work, on a professional level.
Down side to rackmount cases, they generally aren't built for consumer use... unless you're grabbing a 6U slab or similar, you get to deal with sidemount risers for expansion cards, datacenter-style airflow, and some pretty bad connection accessibility without adding an extra 1U slot for a custom front-run IO set. Not to mention how badly many larger CPU coolers deal with being transported, with only the motherboard/backplate for support. (Though I suppose that's an advantage those closed-loop e-peen points coolers actually have, an ability to mount the heavy part to a solid section of the case.)

Also yeah $200 is about five times too low, even for a starter-mid range streaming system. Ten times for a mid-high, which you'd really want for on-site usage, not counting case and transport case costs.
 
Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
I suppose an ITX type build wouldn't be too out of question other than having a graphics head. My XP beater laptop (busted screen, no CD drive) is a 1.6GHz Celeron with 2GB RAM, and it's been working for Hangouts On Air. Not working GREAT, but working.

This isn't a professional thing. I donate my time and equipment to provide the broadcasts for the races and also shoot photos. I don't get paid, I accept donations and sometimes I'll be given a $20 here and there and I'll do the occasional fundraiser. But it's not for profit and purely by choice.

I've just been using a basic cheapo webcam. I dug out an old Canon FS200 and video cord and wired it into the USB capture device, and that made a huge quality difference, not sure why I had't thought of that before. Plus I have focus and zoom control.

Only one track has good internet, 2 others have mediocre with short range. So I picked up a 8dbi directional antenna and 8 ft LMR-240 RPSMA extension, that I can put on a pole and hopefully get a better connection into the wifi with a USB dongle. That's the other question mark, if the capture and wifi will overload the USB bus. Hopefully anything I get will have more than 2 USB ports. Of course an ITX build would solve that problem with a PCIe card.

YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/NTBracketRacingcom
 
Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
A friend in the IT industry sent me this, he buys from TD lease-returns all the time.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9635450&CatId=4936

i5-2620 2.5 GHZ/3.4 GHz Dual Core with 4M of cache, intel graphics, $230 plus freight. Thoughts?

Other option: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9805087&CatId=4936

i7-2620 2.7 GHZ/3.4 GHz Dual Core with 4M cache, intel graphics, $330 plus freight. $100 more for 200 MHZ base faster per core doesn't seem like a good ROI. They both cap at 3.4 when leaned on.
 
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Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
I'd *like* to do 720p broadcasts, but I am happy with 480P I have right now. I just realized by doing a side-by-side, that the poor web quality is more the 1.6 celeron being tapped out than the internet connection (I thought it was the latter). I've probably been broadcasting at 320/240p and never knew it- I usually throw the stream up and never actually look at it myself most of the time, much less on a known good connection.

As far as the GPU required for DirectX 10.1 / 11 that OBS required, Intel HD 3000 from the i5/i7 will be sufficient?
 
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Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
I just tried on our DAQ laptop, C2D P8600 @ 2.4GHZ. Got the same error my netbook did, but different GPU- Cannot Initialize DirectX 10 on Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family. I ran DxDiag, and it says it supports DDI version 10.
 
Harold

Harold

Active Member
The graphics on the intel i5/i7 should be enough.

The build I currently use for streaming is an i5 4690k in a 3u rackmount case (that I will never do another build with again) that I take to events. It all fits in a Gator GRC-10x8PU case where I keep a monitor mounted in the top half for the system.

The mobile intel 4 series isn't recent enough to have proper 10.1 directx hardware support.
 
Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
I may grab one of those from tiger direct then. I'll go hit the pawn shop just to see how much of my wallet they'd want to take.

With that said.......I forgot I had an extra tool in my box.

I have a media desktop, microATX, sitting in my closet. I use it for video editing, CAD design, and photoshop, it's an AMD processor and onboard graphics (Pre-APU days). Technically I could probably re-case it into a micro-ATX cube case and strap a spare 15" LCD on the top, right now it's in an old HP stand-up case and weighs enough that I hate moving it. Has a Hauppauge 9800 (i think?) TV card in it, too. I just don't like the idea of taking a whole damn desktop and lugging it around every weekend, even if I could cut weight out of it. Plus the factor of not having a battery if power went out or accidentally got unplugged. But it would be something to think about....hmm.

Edit: desktop is an Athlon II X2 255, 3.10 GHz dual core with onboard Radeon HD 6570 GPU and Hauppauge HVR-1600 Tri-Tuner.
 
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Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
Just for grins, I loaded OBS onto the desktop. Everything seems set up right and I added the haupauge and USB module as global sources, but the frame comes up black for preview. I read the FAQ that related to nvidia, is there one for AMD/ATI/CCC?

I tried the haupauge, and I get a large black rectangle with a tiny static box off the tuner card. so that's at lest working, plus or minus the scaling/resolution.

edit: disregard. Got it working via: https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/easycap-usb-2-0-got-it-working.433/
 
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Harold

Harold

Active Member
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Athlon+II+X2+255 - kinda not suitable as a desktop.
That FAQ for black screens only applies to game capture. DirectShow devices like the capture card aren't related to that.

With the DJ cases, There are ones with wheels built in (GRR-8L and that family) that you can mount a computer with a UPS in it and wheel it around like airport luggage.

I have a pair of GRR-6L cases I use as wire bags.

I'm going to be doing a blog post about my complete setup sometime between now and the middle of November. I will probably be getting a new case for the computer itself (4u 24" deep instead of the 3u 18" deep one I have)
 
Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
I never said I fit into any molds. I played some racing games on this computer with the integrated graphics even, before it was a CAD and media machine. I drive a hyundai elantra so don't think a massive rack with UPS will quite cut it. I wish! Maybe when I upgrade one of these ES750's to a 1200 next year (6 UPS's in the house...calling the power grid here as being decent is a compliment. power flickers every day all day).

Of course after I took these photos, the drop rate started going up. 5.5 minutes in and I'm at 532 for 5.5% dropped at 1090-1500 kb/s.

If you're wondering what that is....it's window screen at 41X zoom.

20151028_142548.jpg


20151028_142555_1.jpg


20151028_142559.jpg
 
Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
The real question is how much degradation to expect if I went with a laptop. Right now, task manager is showing 1.88 GB of RAM used and 74% of both cores at 3112 MHZ, core temp at 48C (stock AMD cooler).

Granted both the i5 and i7 are improved on the AMD 255, the lower clock frequency I think would be about even or probably 15-20% worse?

I could fit the system in a slim case if it wasn't for the full height hauppauge card. And removing that just wouldn't be any fun.

edit: after closing chrome, steam, and a few others, it's down to 60% of both cores, stable, and 1.84 GB of RAM.
 
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Harold

Harold

Active Member
It should work out not too bad, but a build based on a recent-generation i5 or i7 would run circles around it.
 
Magnethead

Magnethead

Member
Harold said:
It should work out not too bad, but a build based on a recent-generation i5 or i7 would run circles around it.
Click to expand...
Hey, for something I do voluntarily, if it even works, i'm ecstatic. Considering all my stuff except my Mac Mini is C2Q or older, the fact that I'll have something with an i series processor will be progress from the stone age :) I still have a couple pentium 2 rigs......I didn't say I use them, but I have them! Then there's the raspberry pi's and arduinos, but that's not part of this discussion :P

Thanks for the help. I will get the laptop headed this way and go from there.
 
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