View Full Version : Using my Mac Pro's power


Paul Joy
July 6th, 2007, 05:10 PM
Hi all.

I'm not sure if I'm missing an option or not but it always seems a little strange that whenever I'm exporting using compressor each of my Mac Pro's four cores are giving around 50% of there power to the job. Is there a way of having the mac put those CPU's to better use?

Thanks

Paul.

Nate Schmidt
July 6th, 2007, 07:29 PM
http://www.dvcreators.net/mike-explains-how-to-speed-up-compressor-3/

check this out... it may help

Paul Joy
July 7th, 2007, 03:20 AM
Thanks, I've tried that and it doesn't seem to make any difference isn't qmaster for controlling shared CPU's anyway?

It's quite frustrating, iStat says my CPU's are 60% Idle when compressor is compressing, I want to use that power!

Thanks loads for the tip though.

Paul.

Matt Stahley
July 7th, 2007, 04:54 PM
if you go into system pref and go to the energy saver click on options button there should be a processor performance selector you could try setting it to highest. im pretty sure that its set to automatic by default.

Paul Joy
July 8th, 2007, 03:19 AM
Hi, I think the processor usage option is for laptops only, there isn't such an option on my Mac pro.

After digging into this a bit further I've managed to make compressor use more power by setting up a quick cluster in the qmaster settings and choosing the cluster after submitting the job in compressor instead of the local machine (even though it's the same machine).

This does all seem a bit strange, and there are a few side effects - firstly if I try and send a job to compressor from FCP and process it using the cluster FCP locks up. Secondly, when running a job yesterday (not from FCP) with all four cores maxed out my machine froze and the fans went balistic.. (overheat?).

Must be this long hot summer in the UK... not! :)

Paul.