New video card
 

The computer I currently use for editing (Vegas Pro 11) is a Dell XPS 9000 with a 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD5770 video card installed. The video card is acting up, overheating it appears, and so my question is what video card would you recommend I purchase as an upgrade in order to utilize the new features of Vegas Pro 11?

Many thanks

John

Re: New video card
 

I have the 5750, and it is working fine with Vegas 11. Do you what temps your card is reaching? Are there any other components that are acting up as well? Do you have sufficient case fans and air flow?

Re: New video card
 

Well, it is hard to answer a question like this since there are so many different video cards out there.
Also, most name brand computers usually install a powersupply that just meets the systems current power needs. So changing a video card, usually means changing the powersupply as well.

Since you asked for an opinion, I would go with a Nvidia GTX 560TI 448 core video card and a seasonic 600 watt power supply or the seasonic 750 watt supply.

When reading the many posts here on the forum about video cards, many people have disabled GPU rendering, as I believe some of the codex they are using are not GPU accelerated. Since I am more of a hardware expert than a vegas expert ( more a vegas novice really ) I would double check your work flow to see if GPU acceleration will work for you.

I use two video cards, a 10bit-deepcolor video card for photoshop and a gforce card, for vegas.

Sorry about the late answer, I was on vacation o)

Re: New video card
 

Joe, many thanks for that; most appreciated. I’ve been out of the office also as it happens and not paying attention to this issue until today. On further investigation seems it is not a video card issue but perhaps a power supply thing therefore your response is relevant as I might just go with the Seasonic power supply, if they are available in this part of the world.

I guess I’m not up to speed on how Vegas might utilize the video card other than that I recall something about the current version doing so. I might just go ahead and upgrade the power supply and see if that tidies things up and take it from there. The ATI Radeon HD5770 video card passed all the tests I've just completed so it should be just fine. If I do need to upgrade the card I shall go with your suggestion.

Many thanks.

Re: New video card
 

no cuda on ati.

that is if you need it.

Re: New video card
 

Huh! Had to Google cuda and seems, I think, you are saying that my current video card can not be utilized during rendering. Did I get that right Leslie? Not sure if I need it but I always want faster rendering. Maybe I do need a new video card. Does it really make a difference to rendering time?

Re: New video card
 

well, it certainly makes a difference IF your cpu isn't as powerful as your gpu ;-)

i'm no expert on this, but reading the various groups it seems there's a lot to be gained using gpu rendering on less powerful pcs.

my i7/920 with 550ti gives excellent render times with gpu. 560> cards even better.

i think you need to research a little about it - try scs board as well...

what's the dell cpu?

Re: New video card
 

The cpu is the same as yours. The card upgrades you are talking about look like about $300 to 400 NZ and perhaps a new PSU.

Thanks for clueing me in on the cuda business. I simply assumed my modern machine would be just fine with the GPU rendering assist enabled with Vegas Pro 11. Ya learn something every day around here.

What sort of percent increase are you talking about, más o menos?

Re: New video card
 

Keep in mind Vegas also supports OpenCL, which the AMD Radeon card mentioned has.

So as is, with no changes, the OP can get GPU acceleration.

Re: New video card
 

Thanks Bill, most helpful. I took a look in the help file, downloaded the latest drivers and Bob's your uncle; I'm in business with GPU assisted rendering with the card installed as you said.

Regarding the overheating problem I took the computer outside, took off the cover and gave the thing a good blowing out with compreseed air. You would not believe the crap the came out of there.

I think I might be home free!

Thanks, and cheers...

Re: New video card
 

For what it's worth, I open my case up and blow it out about every three or four months. There's always a bit of dust that has accumulated.

Do you have any software installed that can check your card's temp?

Re: New video card
 

Thanks Stephen, yes, I have Speedfan 4.45 installed and the card is running, now, at about 50 C. I have discovered that I might need a new video card after all notwithstanding the temperature being satisfactory. I am unable to render AVCHD 60p unless I select the option to not use the GPU. While the card is said to be OpenCL compliant and therefore should work it doesn’t. Either the card is not up to the task for whatever reason or there is a switch I have yet to locate.

Looking at Sony’s Vegas web site I note the best performing card that they have tested, or at least publish data on, is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 570. So I would probably be up for a new PSU along with the card which adds up to more than loose change. And it may well be that there are newer cards that are significantly better!

So, work in progress and ideas most welcome.

Re: New video card
 

John, If you end up getting a new card, please post the details. I'm going to be doing a new build in the fall, so I'll be looking for ideas.

Stephen

Re: New video card
 

Sure will, Stephen. Given the first-look at the associated costs and the fact that it’s high summer here; you know – the season to procrastinate as long as things are going more-or-less OK (which they are), it might be that you get there first in which case I will learn from your experience. But yes; when I do I will post accordingly. Thanks for the suggestion.

Cheers...

Re: New video card
 

John,

If I get there first, I will certainly post the details.

Stephen

Re: New video card
 

I've got a 5770 and the GPU acceleration feature works fine for me. Have you checked to make sure you are running the newest catalyst drivers? I had driver issues when I first tried to enable GPU acceleration and it wouldn't recognize the card until I cleared off some old nvidia drivers.

I can't say for sure the 5770 makes a lot of difference, if any over my i7 processor alone, but some renders feel faster than when I was on VP9.

Anybody hear from anybody using the new 7970 cards? On paper at least, it looks like they would offer at least twice the rendering speed of the 5770.

Re: New video card
 

Just getting back to this, belatedly. Thanks for your input Steve, much appreciated. Latest drivers, well in Device Manager I go ‘update driver’ and am told ‘Windows has determined you have the latest’ so I presume that’s true. I downloaded a product titled Fumark which is designed to stress the video card and no problems there. That product also confirmed I have the latest drivers for the card. I determined that using Vegas 11 I can render using the MainConcept AVCHD Max 60p only if in the customize box under encode mode I select render using cpu only. Any of the other options including automatic crashes Vegas 11. I have no idea why.

I note at the Sony website that features GPU acceleration using a computer almost the same as mine but admitedly with probably a more powerful video card that renders 2 to 3 times as fast are obtained utilizing GPU assist. That’s a huge performance increase. That would be nice.

Not sure what to do. Might do a complete reinstall and see if that solves the problem. That will have to wait until I have the time and the inclination. In the meantime I have Vegas 11 rendering as it should albeit without the acclaimed GPU acceleration, which is disappointing.

Re: New video card
 

John, clicking on "Update Driver" will very rarely find the NEWEST driver out there. What catalyst version do you have installed? You can find out by right-clicking a blank area of the desktop. There should be an "AMD Control Center" type entry listed there. Click on that. On the screen that opens, scroll down to the bottom of the left side, click on "Information", and then click on "Software Update". You should now see on the right where it says "AMD Catalyst" and gives the version installed. What version does it say? The current Catalyst version is 12.2.

Re: New video card
 

John, also try completely uninstalling all software associated with your video card, then install the newest driver as listed on you manufacturer's website. This helped me a few months ago, I had installed updates over old drivers, a real no no, which I should have known better. Anyway, this method did clear up some issues for me.

Re: New video card
 

Short update: I have now successfully utilized the video card, a Radeon HD 5770, on my Dell XPS 9000 desktop during rendering. I rendered a short AVCHD file shot using a NEX 5n camera from the Vegas Pro 11 timeline without any changes resulted in no significant differences in time with and without GPU involvement.

Longer update: Thanks Edward and Jeff for your most helpful suggestions. I followed both your suggestions and first uninstalled and deleted the drivers utilizing the Device Manager. I then reinstalled the original drivers that are on the Dell support website, R242640, driver version 8.930.0.0 dated 5/12/2011. I experimented with that setup. I then downloaded the Catalyst package and updated the drivers to 8.950.0.0 dated 14/02/2012. Made no difference whatsoever.

The option to utilize GPU rendering appears in two location (that I am aware of – there may be more), the first being options, preferences, video and there we see GPU acceleration of video processing: and we have the choice of ‘Advanced Micro Devices Inc (Juniper) or Off. Also on the MainConcept AV/AAC template near the bottom under Encode method we have the option of rendering 1) Automatic (recommended), 2) Render using GPU if available, and 3) Render using CPU only.

My results:

Options preferences video GPU ‘Off’:
1) Render AVCHD file unaltered with either Automatic or ‘Render using GPU if available’ failed to render.
2) Rendering was successful when ‘Render with CPU only’ was selected. The video card was not utilized as indicated by GPU temperature remaining steady.

Options preferences video ‘Advanced Micro Devices Inc (Juniper)’ selected.
1) Render AVCHD file unaltered with either Automatic or ‘Render using GPU if available’ failed to render.
2) Rendering was successful when Render with CPU only. The video card was untilized as indicated by a 10 degree increase in GPU temperature but the render time remained the same.

Go figure; I think I need a new video card!

Re: New video card
 

If possible I would focus on a faster processor rather than a better card, but that is just me.