PC Settings

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:30 pm

Hi Guys

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2399 Mhz
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2400 Mhz
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2400 Mhz
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2400 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 0804, 20/10/2006
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United Kingdom
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)"
Total Physical Memory 4,096.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 2.13 GB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 4.78 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

I'm trying my best to make things optimal and I wonder if the Learning Centre's System Tweeks page is still relevant for my PC. For instance it says the paging file should be double the RAM - the page file here is 2gig and I wonder if I still need to increase to 4 gig?

Also it says make sure DMA is enabled (Select Control Panel, System>Device Manager. Select IDE Controller>Primary/ Secondary>Advanced) as well as disable "Write-Behind Caching" on the hard drive used for video capture (Go Control Panel>System, right click on your hard drive, select Properties). Yet I cannot find IDE controllers or the caching as laid out in the Tweeks page.

Any advice from the more technically minded would be welcome here.

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:53 pm

OK, I don't think locale = UK is ideal, but that's another story.

Tell me how you have your hard disk(s) specified, partitioned and used. This is the most important performance factor.

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:20 pm

Hi Devil
I have just one C drive (volume0), which is 279gig in total and 200gig are free (and I'm looking into your last advice about partiononing or installing a separate drive). I just thought I'd see what tweeks I could do in the meantime.

In the local properties I see there's nearly 1 gig in Temporary Internet files and nearly 3gig in the waste bin - is it a good idea to clean them??

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:39 pm

Ouch! I've been mulling over putting a sticky on this board on the best way to do just this specifically for MSP, but I haven't yet got round to doing this. Do you want what I would consider the absolute ideal or the simplest way of getting the best out of video applications?

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:40 pm

Hi Devil, yes please - I would appreciate you views on the best/ simplest ways very much.

MrA · Post by **MrA** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:58 pm

Devil wrote:Ouch! I've been mulling over putting a sticky on this board on the best way to do just this specifically for MSP, but I haven't yet got round to doing this. Do you want what I would consider the absolute ideal or the simplest way of getting the best out of video applications?

I'm in this in VS, over the quad cpu issue. Neither products are "specifically" written to obtain the best performance of the processors. Basically, just get the best video card you can use, and the max ram you can use, keep it simple, if you have to, shut down all non - necessary apps, and video to your hearts content. (i run a quad processor, so, I dont even have to shut down virus protection, which is recommended)

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:37 pm

Hi MrAmigo

My video and audio cards are NVDIA GeForce 88000 GTS and SoundMax Integrated Digital HD Audio. From what I can make of it the video card and the Intel quad processor, etc should mean the PC shouldn't break sweat working on NLE and rendering, but...

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:52 pm

OK, this is not a full response but just an outline of what I would consider the simplest for you.

1. Buy a, say, 300 Gb (or more) SATA disk of recent manufacture and install it. This will become your video disk and will be used exclusively for that.

2. Buy Norton Partition Magic, if you don't alreadt have it.

3. Defrag your C: disk and make a System Restore point, in case something goes pear-shaped

4. Make new partitions on your C: disk of 5 Gb, 10 Gb and 10 Gb and the remainder, starting at 20 Gb above your existing installation

5. Install a second version of Win XP on your first 10 Gb partition, and all the drivers. Make sure you have no installation of anything that allows you to connect to the Internet; do NOT install a firewall or anti-virus.

6. Boot into this and set up your Virtual memory on the 5 Gb partition and make it minimum 4 Gb and max 4 Gb.

7. Install MSP and other video software on the second 10 Gb partition.

8. Set up MSP, so that the temp and preview files are placed in folders on the remainder partition and that the working files are on your new disk.

This is not the only way of doing things, but it will allow you to use all your Internet and other applications when you boot into the original Win installation, without modification and you will get best performance out of your video work on the other boot. Uninstall your video apps from your C: drive.[/i]

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:18 pm

Thank you so much, Devil, for your outline. That has been really helpful guidance.