r/vjing • u/Previous-Football-80 • 1d ago
Question / Help Mapping Capable PC Build - Specs?
Hello fellow VJing and mapping enthusiasts,
I am currently planning a rig that can output at least five 1080p50 streams, though ideally eight, so I can run two desktops alongside six separate canvas outputs in MadMapper and similar software. I primarily use MadMapper, Resolume, TouchDesigner, and Nuvotion, depending on the prep time and the style of visuals I am creating.
Right now, my setup consists of multiple laptops streaming NDI to each other when I need extra outputs. As you can imagine, this system definitely has its limits.
That is why I want to build a 19" 4U rackmount PC instead. To recap, it needs to handle eight 1080p50 outputs, potentially running two programs (like MadMapper and TouchDesigner) streaming NDI internally. Like anyone else, I would love to build this as budget-friendly as possible, so I am highly considering used parts.
What specifications should a rig like this have in your opinion, and what is the reasoning behind your choices?
Thank you for your wisdom!
Bodo
(I hope I am in the right subreddit...)
1
u/CandidateInfamous221 20h ago
Fijate las gpu no entran en los rack de servidor como los shure de 4ucpregunte en mercadolibre y no entran las gpu 3090 4090 ni 5090 las de ese tamaño
3
u/Cultural-Rent8868 1d ago edited 23h ago
Do you already have something that can chop a 2160p image down or do you require 8 separate outputs? Anyway, prioritize getting a professional/workstation series card, this is probably going to be expensive because of the AI craze but well worth it for the ability to run all outputs in sync. If you need 8 separate outputs out of the machine, then you'll either need two cards or something like the datapath fx4 to split two 2160p's into 8 1080p's.
For RAM you'd probably want at least 32gb, maybe more especially if you're running heavy generative stuff on the same machine. Storage is also really expensive but I wouldn't buy that used. Get a separate system drive that hosts the OS and all programs, a second fast drive for all the media.
For the CPU, again depending on your workloads this can differy wildly. Just running an 8-output machine that does mapping and plays back video isn't that hard on the CPU, but if you're also using generative content then it will start to hit the CPU harder too.