[PD] Buying PCs for PD: Quantity or Quality

[Ian Smith-Heisters]

These are exactly the issues I was wondering about.

> eg: if you need very low latency, you probably will have to use one
> single computer
> eg: if you need to tightly sync your output(s), you will probably have
> to use
> one single computer.

So you've answered some of my questions despite yourself:

> your question can't be answered seriously without an idea of the
> project you are
> trying to do:

I can't give an accurate portrait of the project because it will be a workshopped piece that won't have a final
form (the performance itself may not be 'final'). A few things I do know is that the same system will have to
be used with a traditional performance, (eg. dancers triggering sensors in a more or less predictable manner)
and also for an installation piece right afterward in which the audience will be triggering reactions via
sensors in a more unpredictable way.

Extremely low latency will not be an issue. I won't be doing stereoscopic imagery or anything like that, and I
assume that the speed of a (wireless?) ethernet network will synchronize actions sufficiently.

I'd really be interested just to hear about things people have done in the past, and what kind of computer
power they found they needed.

> in other cases it might be sufficient to use several pcs, which could
> be more
> fun, because for *most* things you will not need full calculation power
> of all
> the computers - so you can split your setting and run e.g. 3 different
> installations/measurements/whatever at the same time.

Does having several computers give any actual power benefit over one behemoth. Here it sounds like the main
advantage would be organization; getting different elements into discrete places for easier management. 

Performance wise, how would it compare to run GEM doing (for example) two 3D animations, one using video
capture from a webcam on an AMD Barton 2.2GHz (XP3200+) with a gig of ram and an ATI 9800 to running the
animations on two separate Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz w/ 256 MB Ram and an onboard video controller? (These systems
are quick looks at the kind of stuff I might end up with, 6 months from now I'm sure my money will get me a lot
further, but GEM will also do fancier stuff and need more power).

> all of them.
> as for noise: not only the fans are important, but you should also
> consider a
> sound-absorbing interior and air-flow optimization.
> 
> the unfortunate thing is, that silent machines tend to be big and
> heavy.

What situations have you found noise to be a big problem in, and in what situations has it been more important
to have small form factor (as the two seem to be mutually exclusive). Are there any unobvious advantages to SFF
and low-noise other than the obvious portability, hide-ability and, well, low noise? eg. have you ever had
problems with loud machines interfering with microphones?

Of course, that's a lot of nitpicky stuff, and you may have better things to do than answer it all, so don't
sweat it; you've already been a great help.

Thanks,
Ian Smith-Heisters

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: [PD] Buying PCs for PD: Quantity or Quality
> From: zmoelnig at iem.at
> Date: Tue, March 30, 2004 11:09 pm
> To: "Ian Smith-Heisters" <heisters at 0x09.com>
> Cc: pd-list at iem.at
> 
> Zitiere Ian Smith-Heisters <heisters at 0x09.com>:
> 
> hi.
> your question can't be answered seriously without an idea of the
> project you are
> trying to do:
> eg: if you need very low latency, you probably will have to use one
> single computer
> eg: if you need to tightly sync your output(s), you will probably have
> to use
> one single computer.
> 
> in other cases it might be sufficient to use several pcs, which could
> be more
> fun, because for *most* things you will not need full calculation power
> of all
> the computers - so you can split your setting and run e.g. 3 different
> installations/measurements/whatever at the same time.
> 
> as for Gem:
> putting several gfx-cards (e.g: 1xAGP, 1xPCI) into one single computer
> *should*
> work (at least nvidia says it does) - but i have never tried it : i've
> never
> needed more than 2 parallel screens.
> again: if you need your outputs tightly in sync (eg: you want to do one
> big
> contiguous image or some stereo-image with polarization) than i don't
> think that
> using several computers that do the actual rendering is a good idea.
> 
> > 
> > Are there any other things y'all have found useful? Extra quiet
> fans?
> > Small form factor?
> > 
> all of them.
> as for noise: not only the fans are important, but you should also
> consider a
> sound-absorbing interior and air-flow optimization.
> 
> the unfortunate thing is, that silent machines tend to be big and
> heavy.
> 
> mfg.ar
> IOhannes
> 
> 
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