I have some large anime movie files, like over 10GB each. They are in 1080p. My computer loads them fine, if I start from the beginning. The problem is, when I try to see a specific segment in the middle, the computer takes ages to load it.
My question is, if I want a faster response from the computer, what sort of hardware should I upgrade? More RAM (currently 8GB)? Better video card (GeForce 570)? CPU? (i7 2600 3.4Hz) Or what?
Thanks.
Neither. Well, upgrading the video card might not hurt, but I doubt it's your problem.
Maybe a faster hard drive, or a Solid State drive would do it.
What software are you using? Try using VLC at www.videolan.org. It usually works pretty well.
And I'd start by defragmenting your hard drive with this: http://download.cnet.com/Smart-Defrag-2/3000-2094_4-10759533.html
It's free, you'll like it :P
Start with this, and see if it helps at all.
Already using the VLC player.
So maybe I need to buy a bigger SSD. That's why my laptop with lower specs is much better at this.
Will try defragmentation.
Quote from: Monoriu on December 24, 2013, 07:22:13 PM
Already using the VLC player.
So maybe I need to buy a bigger SSD. That's why my laptop with lower specs is much better at this.
Will try defragmentation.
One of the biggest problems you've got is I'd be willing to put money on your system having 8GB of RAM. It's choking because opening a file usually involves moving the contents of the file into RAM- unless you've dropped some extra dough on extra memory in your computer, you're probably pulling more data than you have RAM. There's a backup, called a swap file, which uses some of your hard drive space to act as overflow RAM, but it's nowhere near as fast as physical memory.
Another thing to keep in mind is that defrag will only help if you have a *mechanical* hard drive. If you upped it to a solid state drive, defragmentation won't actually do anything, since it only deals with a downside to the read-write method employed by a mechanical drive.
Your safest bet, though, is to stop trying to pull 1080p rips of everything (especially anime- animators almost never render at full 1080p because it would still take weeks, if not months, to put together episodes rendering with current computers in render farms). A 720p feature-length movie will probably clock in around 7.5GB instead of about 10. For animation, you might actually want to drop down to DVD-quality (480p) rips.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on December 24, 2013, 11:52:42 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on December 24, 2013, 07:22:13 PM
Already using the VLC player.
So maybe I need to buy a bigger SSD. That's why my laptop with lower specs is much better at this.
Will try defragmentation.
One of the biggest problems you've got is I'd be willing to put money on your system having 8GB of RAM. It's choking because opening a file usually involves moving the contents of the file into RAM- unless you've dropped some extra dough on extra memory in your computer, you're probably pulling more data than you have RAM. There's a backup, called a swap file, which uses some of your hard drive space to act as overflow RAM, but it's nowhere near as fast as physical memory.
Another thing to keep in mind is that defrag will only help if you have a *mechanical* hard drive. If you upped it to a solid state drive, defragmentation won't actually do anything, since it only deals with a downside to the read-write method employed by a mechanical drive.
Your safest bet, though, is to stop trying to pull 1080p rips of everything (especially anime- animators almost never render at full 1080p because it would still take weeks, if not months, to put together episodes rendering with current computers in render farms). A 720p feature-length movie will probably clock in around 7.5GB instead of about 10. For animation, you might actually want to drop down to DVD-quality (480p) rips.
Ok, more RAM. I suspected that it would be a problem. I'll do it.
Agree that there is not much difference between 1080p and 720p, especially on a small screen. But there is a big difference between 480p and 720p. Anybody can tell the difference from a glance. There is no way I'll watch 480p if I can help it. Agree that 720 is enough for most situations. But I just can't stop myself from getting the 1080p version if one is available. That's...just me.
How much RAM do I need? 16? 24? 36?
Like Viper said it's probably neither. So before you run off to buy stuff at least try with other/updated video software, no virusscanner running, reinstalled codecs first. :-)
Quote from: Vricklund on December 25, 2013, 10:25:48 AM
Like Viper said it's probably neither. So before you run off to buy stuff at least try with other/updated video software, no virusscanner running, reinstalled codecs first. :-)
I honestly have no idea. That's why I'm asking people here before I spend any money.
16gb of ram is only useful if you have Windows 7/8 64bit, btw. Make sure you have that first, otherwise, it's wasted money.
Did you try smaller files, see if you have similar problems?
Quote from: viper37 on December 25, 2013, 12:57:33 PM
16gb of ram is only useful if you have Windows 7/8 64bit, btw. Make sure you have that first, otherwise, it's wasted money.
Did you try smaller files, see if you have similar problems?
I only have Windows 7 Home Premium. Not sure if that is 64 bit.
Most of the smaller files run fine. Even some of the bigger ones are ok. I only have problems for some of the big 1080p files.
What if you use another player? What if you turn off your anti virus software? Is there a difference if you turn off subtitles?
Quote from: Vricklund on December 26, 2013, 02:40:43 AM
What if you use another player? What if you turn off your anti virus software? Is there a difference if you turn off subtitles?
I mainly use mkv files. The only player (that I know of) that opens them is VLC player. I've just tried windows media player and itunes. They don't work. Any other suggestions for opening mkv files?
Not really comfortable turning off anti-virus. My computer is constantly...doing things in the background :ph34r:
No way I will turn off subtitles. It isn't like I can understand spoken Japanese :lol:
One more question. Do I need to replace the motherboard and power supply?
I bought everything 2 years ago. The mother board model is -
P8Z68-V LE ASUS
ASUS INTEL 68 (S-ATA+USB3 0)ATX
M/B
The power supply model is
XFX PRO850W CORE Edition 850W 80+B
Quote from: Monoriu on December 26, 2013, 03:32:14 AM
One more question. Do I need to replace the motherboard and power supply?
I bought everything 2 years ago. The mother board model is -
P8Z68-V LE ASUS
ASUS INTEL 68 (S-ATA+USB3 0)ATX
M/B
The power supply model is
XFX PRO850W CORE Edition 850W 80+B
Your power supply is massive overkill, so you're good on that front (I only used a 525W in my gaming rig, FYI). As to the processor, that motherboard takes an Intel Core i3/i5/i7, so you've definitely got a 64-bit processor in there.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on December 26, 2013, 09:09:32 AM
Your power supply is massive overkill, so you're good on that front (I only used a 525W in my gaming rig, FYI). As to the processor, that motherboard takes an Intel Core i3/i5/i7, so you've definitely got a 64-bit processor in there.
Is 24GB RAM good enough?
A more fundamental question: is it cheaper to just buy a new computer, or should I bother with small scale tinkering like adding more RAM, getting a bigger SSD drive etc?
And should I bother with Windows 8?
If you already have a SSD, 8gb of ram, good processor and a decent video card something else is wrong if you can't play video files without lag.
Listen to Vrick, try to see how it plays without subtitles, just to test to see if it helps.
Clean your machine, if you don't dare turn off the antivirus because it does stuff, well.. then.
Quote from: Liep on December 26, 2013, 09:30:30 AM
If you already have a SSD, 8gb of ram, good processor and a decent video card something else is wrong if you can't play video files without lag.
Listen to Vrick, try to see how it plays without subtitles, just to test to see if it helps.
Clean your machine, if you don't dare turn off the antivirus because it does stuff, well.. then.
Tested it with subtitles off. Doesn't help.
I already have a 128GB SSD. That's where I put Windows 7 and Steam. It is always full though. So I am thinking of getting a 512GB SSD. Are there 1T SSDs?
Quote from: Liep on December 26, 2013, 09:30:30 AM
If you already have a SSD, 8gb of ram, good processor and a decent video card something else is wrong if you can't play video files without lag.
Listen to Vrick, try to see how it plays without subtitles, just to test to see if it helps.
Clean your machine, if you don't dare turn off the antivirus because it does stuff, well.. then.
Sometimes people doesn't want you to solve the problem, they just want you to tell them they're doing the right thing. ;)
One of those i7 cores running at half speed, with a regular hdd and a quarter of the ram available would probably suffice.
Quote from: Monoriu on December 26, 2013, 09:19:03 AM
Quote from: DontSayBanana on December 26, 2013, 09:09:32 AM
Your power supply is massive overkill, so you're good on that front (I only used a 525W in my gaming rig, FYI). As to the processor, that motherboard takes an Intel Core i3/i5/i7, so you've definitely got a 64-bit processor in there.
Is 24GB RAM good enough?
24gb RAM is overkill for today. I personally don't see massive improvements going from 8gb to 12gb, but they are there. From 12gb to 16gb, I haven't see any differences.
I wouldn't recommend Windows 8 at this point. Maybe next year, but today, there's not enough difference with Windows 7 to justify the minor improvements in performance (something you can see in benchmark tests, not in real life, usually).
I'd say your rig is fine as it is, except the RAM and the video card maybe, but I'm still not convinced it would make a difference with your video file problem.
Other players you could try:
Gom Player (http://player.gomlab.com/eng/download/)
Also, Media Player Classic, bundles in K-Lite codec pack:
http://codecguide.com/download_k-lite_codec_pack_full.htm
This one contains lots of stuff, too much for what you need, but try it if nothing else works.
I'd like a quiet computer. Any tips for keeping the computer quiet? I already have windows in SSD drive, a supposedly quiet case with few fans, and a liquid cooler. Anything else that I should use to keep it quiet?
Quote from: Monoriu on December 26, 2013, 07:56:15 PM
I'd like a quiet computer. Any tips for keeping the computer quiet? I already have windows in SSD drive, a supposedly quiet case with few fans, and a liquid cooler. Anything else that I should use to keep it quiet?
How big are your fans? Larger fans need to spin less to move the same amount of air, so tend to be quieter. Usually, the cheap ones that you'll end up with are 75-80mm, but they go up to 200mm, which are almost silent.
Quote from: DontSayBanana on December 27, 2013, 01:46:48 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on December 26, 2013, 07:56:15 PM
I'd like a quiet computer. Any tips for keeping the computer quiet? I already have windows in SSD drive, a supposedly quiet case with few fans, and a liquid cooler. Anything else that I should use to keep it quiet?
How big are your fans? Larger fans need to spin less to move the same amount of air, so tend to be quieter. Usually, the cheap ones that you'll end up with are 75-80mm, but they go up to 200mm, which are almost silent.
No idea. I just went to the computer shop, discussed my requirements, and haggled like mad. Then dragged the assembled computer home.
Ok I now lean toward the "icing on the cake" approach instead of "replacing the computer" approach.
Quotation: US$550, including parts and labour
Kingston 4G DDR3 1333RAM x2
12CM case fan
Samsung 840 500GB SSD
Data and operating system transfer from 128GB SSD to 500GB SSD
3 or 4 other minor fixes and checking
Am I being ripped off? :ph34r:
Yes, why would you need a 500gb SSD? Keep your old and buy a much cheaper 1TB HDD to store your movie files and other large files, pictures, music, etc. Making room on your c:\ will probably also help you play those video files.
Quote from: Liep on December 27, 2013, 06:15:26 AM
Yes, why would you need a 500gb SSD? Keep your old and buy a much cheaper 1TB HDD to store your movie files and other large files, pictures, music, etc. Making room on your c:\ will probably also help you play those video files.
I already have 5 HDD with a total capacity of 17TB. Don't need more HDD. My SSD of 128GB however is full just to store Windows and Steam games. I want a bigger SSD so that I can play some of the blu-ray rips there if I want.
Ok, you know you can install steam games on different drives, right? Anyhoo, the 500gb ssd alone would be around $500 here, so...
Quote from: Liep on December 27, 2013, 06:27:45 AM
Ok, you know you can install steam games on different drives, right? Anyhoo, the 500gb ssd alone would be around $500 here, so...
Yeah but then you live in Denmark, where everything is marked up 200% ;)
True. :weep:
Quote from: Monoriu on December 27, 2013, 06:19:49 AM
I already have 5 HDD with a total capacity of 17TB. Don't need more HDD. My SSD of 128GB however is full just to store Windows and Steam games. I want a bigger SSD so that I can play some of the blu-ray rips there if I want.
128gb is too small for a SSD, but 256 is ok. 512 is very nice, but I fear you are paying extra for nothing.
Personally, I have 4TB hdd space and a 256gb SSD, I simply shuffle around my big games from the HDD to the SSD.
Quote from: viper37 on December 28, 2013, 12:59:32 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on December 27, 2013, 06:19:49 AM
I already have 5 HDD with a total capacity of 17TB. Don't need more HDD. My SSD of 128GB however is full just to store Windows and Steam games. I want a bigger SSD so that I can play some of the blu-ray rips there if I want.
128gb is too small for a SSD, but 256 is ok. 512 is very nice, but I fear you are paying extra for nothing.
Personally, I have 4TB hdd space and a 256gb SSD, I simply shuffle around my big games from the HDD to the SSD.
When I bought it 2 years ago, they tried to sell me the 64GB SSD. I insisted in a 128GB one. I am very happy with that decision. Now, the same shop tried to sell me the 256GB SSD. I insist in a 500GB one. I hope I will be happy with this decision too. The difference is about US$150 or so. My main concern is that I don't want to change anything after the purchase. I can't install any hardware myself, and moving the computer to the shop is a huge operation for us. I have to make sure that I don't need to buy anything after this.
Well, if money is not a problem, then yeah, 512gb is a good choice.
There are also hybrid HDD-SSD with 1TB storage and more.
Stuff like this: http://www.seagate.com/ca/en/internal-hard-drives/solid-state-hybrid/desktop-solid-state-hybrid-drive/
Quote from: viper37 on December 29, 2013, 09:44:45 PM
Well, if money is not a problem, then yeah, 512gb is a good choice.
There are also hybrid HDD-SSD with 1TB storage and more.
Stuff like this: http://www.seagate.com/ca/en/internal-hard-drives/solid-state-hybrid/desktop-solid-state-hybrid-drive/
Of course money is a big problem. I just want to avoid spending even more money in the future by solving all the problems now.
The only thing I know about computers is how to switch them on, and sometimes not even that. So I am sceptical about unproven new computer technology. I'll let others try them out first. I'll stick to SSDs and HDD for now.
hybrid HDD-SSD have been around since the SSD arrived on the market, but in the past, they were more business-oriented (some servers or very intensive applications). At 300$, it's a bargain compared to the 1000$ of the past.
It's possibly more useful to you than a 512gb SSD where you will need to shuffle your applications&games from the HDD to the SSD constantly to gain the performance bonus. You'll need an app like Steam Mover.
Quote from: viper37 on January 08, 2014, 04:25:22 PM
hybrid HDD-SSD have been around since the SSD arrived on the market, but in the past, they were more business-oriented (some servers or very intensive applications). At 300$, it's a bargain compared to the 1000$ of the past.
It's possibly more useful to you than a 512gb SSD where you will need to shuffle your applications&games from the HDD to the SSD constantly to gain the performance bonus. You'll need an app like Steam Mover.
Kinda late. I bought the 500G SSD almost immediately after I made the last post :lol:
Quote from: Monoriu on January 08, 2014, 08:02:23 PM
Quote from: viper37 on January 08, 2014, 04:25:22 PM
hybrid HDD-SSD have been around since the SSD arrived on the market, but in the past, they were more business-oriented (some servers or very intensive applications). At 300$, it's a bargain compared to the 1000$ of the past.
It's possibly more useful to you than a 512gb SSD where you will need to shuffle your applications&games from the HDD to the SSD constantly to gain the performance bonus. You'll need an app like Steam Mover.
Kinda late. I bought the 500G SSD almost immediately after I made the last post :lol:
sorry :( Holiday times was... busy :)