repetitive theme - PC Setup

Javi LU5FF

Hi all
I am about to build a new setup my computer to my Flex 6500
a while ago I read a good article about mothers who are better suited as well as the accelerator video boards, but I can not find
If anyone can help me from already thank you very much

Javi LU5FF

Walt - KZ1F

Javier, you are over thinking the requirements. Alienware makes a really nice machine but its not required in order to be very successful with a flex 6000 or smartSDR. Any I5 or I 7 8 gig of memory 500 GB of hard drive.. the standard machine selling at Dell will be more than sufficient for your use.

KY6LA_Howard

Try this link https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/passmark-numbers-are-they-useful

Javi LU5FF

TNX Walt, el acelerador y el vídeo?, La idea es tener dos monitores

 

Bill / VA3QB

Javi

As Walt stated for a PC and a real good ATI radeon  or Nvidia video card with at least 1 GB of onboard ram if you wish to run multiple monitors.  I have an I7 Intel  16GB ram  and 2 video cards as I run  4 monitors. 

Bill
VA3QB

k3Tim

The link is handy although one should note it is before release of revision 1.4.6 which greatly reduced the CPU / GPU burden a lot as in 2x or better.  In reading about this topic one should be mindful of the date posted and the release date of 1.4.6.  The diligent stugent will quickly determine said date.

_..--
lk3Tim

kg5eiu

I built an Intel NUC to run my 6500 - running GREAT even on Windows 10.  I got the faster i7 and have been very pleased with the performance - and it is SO quiet.  Talk about tiny!!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidcappello/sets/72157654343989319

W9OY

I'm also running a computer similar to a NUC with a i7 and 4500u graphics with my 6500.  I'm sure an i5 would work just as well.  I would choose the fastest memory and the lowest cas your chipset can support.  

73  W9OY 

Steve Belcak

Hi Bill.....which video cards are u using?  What kind of display ports do they have and how do u use those ports......ie: one monitor in hdmi, the other connected to DVI-D etc......I always seem to get confused about how to manage a pair of monitors.....right now my video adapter is on my MB and I use an HDMI output and a DVI output.....whats the right approach? 
Thanks

Steve

Tim - W4TME

And if you are going to use an graphics card installed in the PC, there have been issues with some of the video cards that use the AMD R7 GPU:  https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/202757878-Are-there-any-video-cards-that-do-not-wor...

Tim - W4TME

We are starting to use the NUC5i7RYH running Win10 at hamfests to demo our radios.  This little PC can handle a 6700 with 8 panadapters while running Fldigi too. It will be on display at Huntsville next week.

Walt - KZ1F

To answer your question is a bit involved. I have but one computer capable of running Windows, a 15" Dell XPS 15Z. The laptop has 8GB of memory, I gave Windows a very small disk partition to run in. The CPU is a Intel I7 running about 3GHz. The GPU is an integrated Intel GPU sitting on the motherboard. However, as I have a facsimile of SSDR running natively on Linux, let me tell you about that. My main development machine is a old Dell XPS 720 with a single Q6600 processor running about 2.4GHz. I have 8GB of memory and a GeForce 8800GT/PCIe/SSE2 video. My version of SSDR running natively on Linux supports all Panadapters with full screen spectrum displays and waterfall displays and it runs like greased lightning. The video card is dual head and I have 2 Dell 23" monitors. This system, despite it's age, despite it's lack of a gaming video card absolutely screams. Yes, there are those with Dell Business Class towers with 20GB of memory and dual Xeon processors with and solid state disk drives. I would bet money SSDR runs no faster on those machines than it does on my, likely, 10 year old Dell running an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 cpu.

SSDR will run no faster than the data can arrive from the radio.

Bill / VA3QB

Good thing to know Tim.   Thanks 

Steve K9ZW

Tim - would you have any suggestions for ready to use NUC5i7RYH options for those of us who might not want to "roll their own" by building up from a NUC5i7RYH barebones kit?

Thanks in advance and 73

Steve K9ZW

Tim - W4TME

Sure.  The only two critical things are the RAM and SSD.  I used:

Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3L 1600 (PC3L 12800) Laptop Memory Model CT2KIT51264BF160BJ 

Kingston SSDNow - Solid state drive - 240 GB - internal - M.2 - SATA 6Gb/s 

To install the OS, I made a bootable Win10 USB stick from the WIn10 ISO using the Rufus utility

Bill / VA3QB

Steve

I have a home built desktop that is an I7 Intel CPU with 16 GB on DDR memory. A 480GB Samsung Solid State hard drive and a 2TB drive where I install a lot of the extra programs though SmartSDR is on SSD .

 I disabled the onboard video as they usually **** anyways. I installed two video cards.

First one was a ATI Radeon HD-4850 1GB  which has two forms of output. I added a year later the second video card, a AMD Radeon HD-5450 1GB which also has two video outputs.  Some of the cards have three video outputs but only two function.  These cards have typically one VGA, one DVI and on the 5450 a HDMI output. So depending on your monitors you may need an adapter from DVI to VGA or vise versa etc. 

These cards run on the Radeon Catalyst software provided with the cards free. It allows you to configure the locations of each monitor on your desktop and works very well.   Always make sure you have the latest version of Catalyst  and video drivers. 

You can see my setup via a link on my QRZ page. Only difference is that the monitor on the far right has been replaced with an unused 40 inch LED TV/Monitor ( Taken out on my old 5th wheel when I sold it). Smart SDR likes realestate. 

With this setup , I can actually run Smart SDR, HRD with Logbook and JT-65 HF  and play a online Steam HD full screen video game at the same time without a hiccup. JT-65 is a slow ham mode like SSTV so have time to play and ham at the same time.

73
Bill
VA3QB

Stan VA7NF

Also use a NUC 5i5RYH for station CPU.  Not mentioned is they run very well on battery DC even as low as 11.5V (Tested to 9V but started to draw extra current).  Our FD (3A QRP) used 4 NUCs on battery with no difficulties.  Haven't seen any need in this service for a 5i7 or supplemental NVIDIA video chip. 

Currently use a SSD but looking forward to delivery of a batch of Samsung SM951 M.2 PCI chips (2GB read 1.5GB write speed) that just plug in.