Adding a GPU card

Forum for questions and support relating to the 1.31.x releases only.
Locked
hokedigital
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:16 am

Adding a GPU card

Post by hokedigital »

I'm running an i5 with 8 x 5mp cameras H265

If I install a GPU card, would this increase the processing power or take the load off the CPU?


Thank you

Tom
bbunge
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:40 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by bbunge »

No. Assume you are running a server? GPU are for desktops.

Add more RAM if you can. That is where you will gain the most. My i5 runs 17 cameras without a problem.
hokedigital
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2017 12:16 am

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by hokedigital »

Im using Ubuntu 16.04 LAMP 16G ram
also looking at testing 4K cameras

Thanks
rockedge
Posts: 1173
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:46 pm
Location: Connecticut,USA

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by rockedge »

OpenCV can be compiled to use GPUs
epruesse
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 3:33 am

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by epruesse »

Probably yes. You may have to mess with some libavcodec configuration though.

The recommended settings tell you to set ZoneMinder to use "ffmpeg". Behind the scenes, ZoneMinder uses libavcodec to expand the h.264 stream to images. This library is theoretically capable of using hardware acceleration both from GPU and CPU. E.g. I'm noticing distinct differences in CPU load if my stream becomes wider than 2048px as that is the max my older Intel CPU can do hardware acceleration on.

Please post if you managed to make it work, and how you did it.
bartekn86
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:53 pm

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by bartekn86 »

ihave compiled ffmpeg

root@nas:/etc/apache2# ffmpeg
ffmpeg version N-87160-g9aa2469930 Copyright (c) 2000-2017 the FFmpeg developers
built with gcc 6.3.0 (Debian 6.3.0-18) 20170516
configuration: --enable-cuda --enable-cuvid --enable-nvenc --enable-nonfree --enable-vaapi --enable-vdpau --enable-libmfx --enable-nonfree --enable-libnpp

ffmpeg -hwaccel shows
Hardware acceleration methods:
vdpau
qsv
vaapi
cuvid

but nvidia-smi shows nothing while previev a "monitor" images... such as intel_gpu_top when i putout GF630 out from pc
tested on gt630 @ drivers Driver Version: 375.66
and j3455 cpu with hd500 igpu (qsv/vaapi method)

iconnor tell that he tested some hwardwarre acceleration but how make it usefull if sb have any experience/advice many people will be grateful
bartekn86
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:53 pm

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by bartekn86 »

Hi,
isnt vaapi for intel gpu ? (igpu) nvidia drivers istalled, ffmpeg compiled from nvidia sdk ffmpeg tutorial... nothing happens...

is it any option to run zmc -m without generating jpeg/mpg when nobody look at prev. from cam ?
bartekn86
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:53 pm

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by bartekn86 »

HI,
debian, vaapi, ffmpeg compiled by myself.. in htop i see that ffmpeg is run with -hwaccel auto/vpadu/vaapi but i dont see any gpu activity...
MalakymR
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:20 pm

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by MalakymR »

This post has been linked to via a blog from someone who thinks ZM has it in for them, and posts crap about ZM everywhere they can.

They put this at the bottom of the quote "- ZoneMinder Developer" as if this single message means everything when everyone below says its okay.

Then ends with this "Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance."


Well if you are here from the medium.com post, you just read some "false knowledge".

bbunge wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2017 3:12 pm No. Assume you are running a server? GPU are for desktops.

Add more RAM if you can. That is where you will gain the most. My i5 runs 17 cameras without a problem.
User avatar
iconnor
Posts: 2880
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:43 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by iconnor »

Servers often have crippled vga chipsets and no gpu slots. I don't know why someone doesn't make a pcie x8 gpu card. Maybe they do and I havn't found it. I have played with a PCI zotac nvidia gpu and it worked ok.

vaapi is primarily for intel, but also works with mesa and amd and nvidia. cuda is better for nvidia.
bbunge
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:40 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by bbunge »

MalakymR wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2019 7:58 am This post has been linked to via a blog from someone who thinks ZM has it in for them, and posts crap about ZM everywhere they can.

They put this at the bottom of the quote "- ZoneMinder Developer" as if this single message means everything when everyone below says its okay.

Then ends with this "Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance."


Well if you are here from the medium.com post, you just read some "false knowledge".

bbunge wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2017 3:12 pm No. Assume you are running a server? GPU are for desktops.

Add more RAM if you can. That is where you will gain the most. My i5 runs 17 cameras without a problem.
Well, I have to admit that I learn something new about computers just about every day. My comment about GPU's was based upon what I knew in 2017 but It wasn't "false" at the time for me.One of these days I'll likely figure out how to use a GPU to boost Linux horsepower. But for now I'll just search the junk piles for good discarded hardware that is better than what I already have...
MalakymR
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:20 pm

Re: Adding a GPU card

Post by MalakymR »

bbunge wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 11:59 pm
Well, I have to admit that I learn something new about computers just about every day. My comment about GPU's was based upon what I knew in 2017 but It wasn't "false" at the time for me.One of these days I'll likely figure out how to use a GPU to boost Linux horsepower. But for now I'll just search the junk piles for good discarded hardware that is better than what I already have...

This wasn't your fault - the other person was quoting you as a developer.

I'm actually going to link this here for posterity.

https://web.archive.org/web/20201103144 ... 6ByZYNPFCG

As I expected, the original was deleted, hence the link.

To quote the Shinobi page - "Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance."
Locked