PC requirements for SmartSDR 4.2.18

ldelatorre

What are the recommended system requirements to run this new version efficiently? I had a N95 Windows 11 Pro mini-PC 8G ram just to run SDR, WSJT-X 3.0 and Gridtracker 2. The new version brought the system to its knees to the point that it’s not usable.

Since I’m going to have to buy a new computer I’ll like to know what my options are.

Erika - KØDD

I spent a lot of years in the IT business… Both as a Director then VP of Information Services, and in private practice supporting 30 companies in the town I lived in. We supported Internet hosting, and Corporate server farms. We flew by several rules of thumb… Our largest companies had 300 computers in various roles.

If you were constantly buying new computers 300 at a time you could easily break a 200,000 population city's company… our first machines were 286 boxes, it was even a splurge to have a 386 in a server role…back then… With my own personal computer at work I updated the machine EVERY SIX months. I would step up as processors changed and new software would lug down previous machines. I'd take my replaced computer and move it into one of my customer's offices at a discounted price with a fresh software load and bigger hard drive.

Once a year I would do a fresh windows and software reload on my own machines.

My Current DELL XPS 8950 shack computer is in my opinion reaching it's end of life, it is an i7 12700 32 Gb of RAM, a GTX 3060 Nvidia graphics card, a very decent cheap 4 video port video card I run 4 monitors.

a pair of SS Samsung 2Gb pro drives. Double the sized cooler than what the machine came with. and the largest power supply Dell put in the 8950 back in 2022… A year ago I punched in the magic codes and now overclock the processor in the Ultimate Power Mode… HIDDEN Windows 11 PRO power mode. Nothing ever sleeps..

I run SSDR at near all sliders pushed to the right pan not remoted… and I run HRD, WSJTX Improved, email, and videos on a 50" 4k tv / monitor while operating. By Fall I will be stepping up…

You can never have a fast enough computer. one that is already One or two generations old is already going to become a liability in your near future… I would NOT recommend going slower than this i7 machine. Think of it like buying a 2022 electric car. The ones that needed charged outside as the batteries burned your garages down. I got this one and souped it up before even putting it in service, and replaced a 2013 Four core XEON workstation with 16 Gb of RAM and a hot NVidia Video card of the era… when I added JT Alert that crushed the XEON. FLex is NEVER going to say oh…. BUY a Really FAST computer… I'm going to tell you BUY ABSOLUTELY the hottest machine you can possibly afford, 3 years before you are going to need it. Just ask your grandkids what dream machine they want for Christmas… If they Know, they'll tell ya what you need to buy or build yourself… I'm building a souped up i9 285 ultra unless intel popps another processor this summer. Water cooled and 850w power supply (the one I pulled from the XEON). Oh yeah, time to retire that SB-200 amp too. Erika DD

n1ah

This is horrible. I have several PC’s dedicated similar to this, that work great. If the new update capsized this usage then shame on flex.

Mike-VA3MW

You will have no issue with SmartSDR running on that.

However, once you add WSJT and GridTracker, you become CPU bound as both use a LOT of computing power. For me, GridTracker runs on its own computer.

You need to move WSJT and GridTracker to a 2nd computer or upgrade your primary computer.

Just about anything from Costco or Walmart are fast enough. However, it is the Video that is your next slowdown. Buy a computer with a dedicated Video card especially if you display is greater than HD resolution.

Many computer share Video resources with the CPU and this can often be part of your bottleneck in resources.

good luck.

ldelatorre

Thanks a lot for the advice. I will buy the absolute fastest I can afford 😊

Mike-VA3MW

I moved Erika's reply to the top as she nailed it.

If Ham radio is a key part of your hobby, fun time, the PC has become as important as your antenna system.

Buy the best you can and you won't be disappointed, but also plan to replace it every 5 years or less. Also plan to rebuild it from scratch about 1/year as there are times that Windows just needs a clean start.

Which reminds me, I am about due.

Neal Pollack AB6G

What Mike Said, and what Erika said. Yes. +1

Why purchase an expensive radio like a flex, and then toss a net over it (and tar on it's wheels) with an old, or slow, or cheap computer?

When using a high end SDR radio, and also running logging, WSJT-X, perhaps JT-Alert and GridTracker, you need a LOT of horse power to "drive the race car at speed". If you are OK driving a formula 1 race car around a parking lot at 5mph, go right ahead and use an ancient mini-PC with little ram and little computer power. But that gets boring real fast for most of us.

I realize there are many hams that have very modest retirement funds and simply can't afford a new PC. But if that is you, and you are still running an obsolete, unprotected, 15+ year old windows 7 PC, or worse, then how the heck did you afford buying a Flex Radio? :-)

Cheers,

Neal

John KB4DU

It's really a use case situation. I run all the other apps on a separate pc, and a small NUC for the Flex, which works well, since the Flex GUI is a light app with most of the work being performed by the radio. this is similar to a M model or a Maestro which essentially a OEM tablet. Many running the radio remote (including Mike) use the same system with a PC running the Flex and a separate PC for the associated apps.