VJ (live video mixing) build 19" rack

[dtrvndrn]

Hey dtrvndrn,
http://www.xcase.co.uk/X-Case-RM-404s-4u-short-rackmount-p/case-xcase-rm404-v3.htm

ah yes, I've looked at this one before. would take a lot of hacking to get a GTX660Ti in. too much for my taste so not an option. i wish they'd position the HD cage differently, combined with the external drives on 1 side for example. with SSD's these days you don't need that much HD space anyway.

 

[dtrvndrn]

ah yes, I've looked at this one before. would take a lot of hacking to get a GTX660Ti in. too much for my taste so not an option. i wish they'd position the HD cage differently, combined with the external drives on 1 side for example. with SSD's these days you don't need that much HD space anyway.

well actually... having another look at that video it doesn't seem that hard to do. can the horizontal shelf be taken out for sawing out a part?

btw, that shelf is such a waste of space. all the space under it is just used by the USB ports and power button... does it serve any structural purpose? i mean, does it strengthen the case structurally?

 

[theFrenchMan]

ah yes, I've looked at this one before. would take a lot of hacking to get a GTX660Ti in. too much for my taste so not an option. i wish they'd position the HD cage differently, combined with the external drives on 1 side for example. with SSD's these days you don't need that much HD space anyway.

Agreed, they have a new version with something like 220mm space for a card I would have thought it would have made sense to open the space up. With my version I chopped out a section of the hard drive bay to make room but now that we can get powerful short GPU's it may not be an issue anymore.

The real issue is finding a good combination of motherboard and GPU ( x2 or x3)

Now that it easier to use multiple GPU's has anyone got a recommendation for a pair of cards which support 3 displays and a motherboard.

I'm considering the following as a starting point for a VJ machine capable of running multiple projectors.

1 x Core i5-3570K
1 x Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H
1 x Corsair 8GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance Memory Two Module Kit
2 x EGVA GTX 650
2 x OCZ Vertex 4 64gb (boot, data)

TheFrenchman

 

[theFrenchMan]

Not looked at this thread for a bit but have just found a case which would be perfect for this build.

X-case in the UK have a new 1.5u rack mount case which takes a mini-ITX and is only 250mm deep. The case has room for 3 x 2.5 drives and 1 x 3.5 drive it also has two expansion card slots so we may be able to fit in a mid range GPU. No Space for a DVD but that's more or less redundant now.

X-case don't have a video yet but should review the case soon and I've asked a couple of questions about GPU compatibility. Here's the link ....

http://www.xcase.co.uk/product-p/case-itx-03.htm

Will create a build spec after I get the info from X-case.

 

[theFrenchMan]

Not looked at this thread for a bit but have just found a case which would be perfect for this build.

X-case in the UK have a new 1.5u rack mount case which takes a mini-ITX and is only 250mm deep. The case has room for 3 x 2.5 drives and 1 x 3.5 drive it also has two expansion card slots so we may be able to fit in a mid range GPU. No Space for a DVD but that's more or less redundant now.

X-case don't have a video yet but should review the case soon and I've asked a couple of questions about GPU compatibility. Here's the link ....

http://www.xcase.co.uk/product-p/case-itx-03.htm

Will create a build spec after I get the info from X-case.

Here's the manufacturers link ...

http://www.arktechinc.net/server-case/1u-rackmount/1-5u-ipc-1-5u1525.html

 

[theFrenchMan]

New hardware list based on the 1.5u 19" rack mount case ...

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77N-WIFI @ £85.97

CPU: Intel Core i3 3225 Dual Core CPU (Socket 1155, 3.30GHz, 3MB Cache, Ivy Bridge, 55W) @ £107.97

RAM: Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600 Mhz CL9 XMP Performance Desktop Memory Kit Black @ £58.97

CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Slim X3 CPU Cooler with 80 x 15mm Fan for LGA775 and LGA1156 @ £16.78

GPU: TBC @ £120.00 (budget)

Case: 1.5u Rack Mount, Model #: IPC-1.5U1525, Dimension (DxWxH): 250mm x 482mm x 68mm, Drive Bays: 1x (internal 3.5" bay), +2x (internal 2.5" bay) @ £58.80

http://www.xcase.co.uk/product-p/case-itx-03.htm

Total: £442.96 (28/7/13 - Amazon UK, X-case)

28/7/13 - Mac Mini, i5, 4Gb RAM, 500Gb HDD, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Thunderbolt, USB 3 @ £499.00

 

[tjaudio]

Wow, that case is expensive! Do you absolutely need it to fit in 1.5 spaces? I use a 4U server rack for my audio rig and having the extra space has been a blessing for extra optical drives and devices. I got this one from Amazon for $70 and it's tough as nails.

Logisys 4801 All Black 4U Industrial Rackmount Cases
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C1KQHM/ref=oh_details_o00_s02_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[theFrenchMan]

Wow, that case is expensive! Do you absolutely need it to fit in 1.5 spaces? I use a 4U server rack for my audio rig and having the extra space has been a blessing for extra optical drives and devices. I got this one from Amazon for $70 and it's tough as nails.

Logisys 4801 All Black 4U Industrial Rackmount Cases
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C1KQHM/ref=oh_details_o00_s02_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Agreed its more expensive and I normally use a 4u but its heavy to lug around when working live so a 2u or 1.5u would be much better.

 

[tjaudio]

Oh, yes. Mine is definitely pretty heavy, especially when mounted in a road case. Did you end up buying one or still looking? I'm sure there must be a cheap server chassis online somewhere. Also, it would be difficult to get a lot of air, or (even a heat sink) through a smaller case. Are you overclocking?

 

[theFrenchMan]

Oh, yes. Mine is definitely pretty heavy, especially when mounted in a road case. Did you end up buying one or still looking? I'm sure there must be a cheap server chassis online somewhere. Also, it would be difficult to get a lot of air, or (even a heat sink) through a smaller case. Are you overclocking?

If its flight cased you can pepper it with extra breathing holes as the case protects the rack. Regarding overclocking I don't bother, the default settings for CPU's are fine for the app I use, I have i3, i5 and i7 CPU's and all work well. The GPU is the most important component.