glasgoweditor:

BLKDOG:

 One way to find out is to disconnect the Mojo. Will the same RT effects play back without the Mojo? If not, then the error most likely lies in your processor (or storage) performance.

As said, with the mojo removed I still receive slow RT performance.

With drives removed I still receive slow performance.

Is there any way of testing a CPU for faults ?

EDIT ::: I've ran a cpu benchmark/performance test no faults found. 

 

 Did You it with the Dell diagnostics? You got a choice then You start the computer, if You use the original system drive. Else, boot with the diagnostic cd-rom You got with your system.

 Hello glasgoweditor

I'm running two Dell 670 with either version of Mojo; analogue/SDI and MC3. The Mojos are both connected directly to the Dell's firewire connector.  I do not have any other firewire boards.

A shot in the dark: Remove your additional firewire board from the computer and remove any (if any) audio board.  Basically, strip down your computer to the absolute minimal hardware.

I also read that you transferred media to an internal IDE drive.  I believe IDE drives are too slow... I stand to be corrected, but IDE drives never worked for me as media drives.  SATAs and eSATAs are fast enough.

Hope this helps.

Michel

berga:

glasgoweditor:

BLKDOG:

 One way to find out is to disconnect the Mojo. Will the same RT effects play back without the Mojo? If not, then the error most likely lies in your processor (or storage) performance.

As said, with the mojo removed I still receive slow RT performance.

With drives removed I still receive slow performance.

Is there any way of testing a CPU for faults ?

EDIT ::: I've ran a cpu benchmark/performance test no faults found. 

 

 

 Did You it with the Dell diagnostics? You got a choice then You start the computer, if You use the original system drive. Else, boot with the diagnostic cd-rom You got with your system.

Yes, I used the original Dell Diagnostic Disc which came with system, everything passed and I used Performance Test 6.1 by Passmark, again full pass.

Random Post:

 Hello glasgoweditor

I'm running two Dell 670 with either version of Mojo; analogue/SDI and MC3. The Mojos are both connected directly to the Dell's firewire connector.  I do not have any other firewire boards.

A shot in the dark: Remove your additional firewire board from the computer and remove any (if any) audio board.  Basically, strip down your computer to the absolute minimal hardware.

I also read that you transferred media to an internal IDE drive.  I believe IDE drives are too slow... I stand to be corrected, but IDE drives never worked for me as media drives.  SATAs and eSATAs are fast enough.

Hope this helps.

Michel

Hey! WOW ! Another Avid & Dell 670 user! I've never met one until you, felt like I was the only one !!!!! 

As said earlier moving the media onto the spare IDE drive was for testing to see if the conflict was to do with playing media on drives externally of the system ie.: SCSI drives - > UL4D card or a drive connected by USB / FW ports. IDE is certainly fast enough for the playback of media as long as it's not your launch / system drive. I normally use Avid LVD SCSI drives.

I have also tried the system with no cards fitted and the problems still remain.

Can you let me know what speed your processors are and also what graphics card you have fitted !?

Thanks!

Hello  glasgoweditor,

I have two Dell 670.  So far, 3 yrs, they've been the best computers I've purchased... so far.  (I know this fact does not help you)

My main machine is a dual Xeon, 3.6Ghz, 2Gb RAM.  The BIOS: Dell AO7, motherboard is a Dell 0X0392.  The C drive is IDE 120Gb.  I am using the two built-in SATA ports for 2X500Gb media drives Western Dynamic Caviar.  Thus the three built-in ports are full.  (I've also installed a large fan to ventilate the drives continuously) 

Video card is a Nvidia Fx3400 with the approved driver; 6.14.11.6947 (as of 24 March2008)  The other board in the computer is a, vey old, SCSI board: Adaptec Ultra2 Wide, connected to a quad-striped array. (old but good 160Mb/sec drives... pre-dates the LVD drives.  When they die, I'll get LVDs)

I know it's a very silly question, but I have to ask... apologies in advanced;  Have you rebuilt all of your media database(s) ?   Are you are running WinXP, service pack 2 ?   I gather Service Pack 3 is NOT recommended for "us".

All my drives are NTSF, and dynamic.

I will attempt to email to you a notepad file with my machine's specs.  I hope it can be of value.

Michel

Random Post:

Hello  glasgoweditor,

I have two Dell 670.  So far, 3 yrs, they've been the best computers I've purchased... so far.  (I know this fact does not help you)

Yup It does help to know as I've never found anyone to say that they are running Media Composer successfully on a Dell 670. I like the Dell too, well I did when it used to work! I've found this system to be nothing but stable and bliss after using the HP8200/8400 systems which seemed to be awful for random faults and crashing.

Random Post:

I know it's a very silly question, but I have to ask... apologies in advanced;  Have you rebuilt all of your media database(s) ?   Are you are running WinXP, service pack 2 ?   I gather Service Pack 3 is NOT recommended for "us". 

Yup, I've updated the MDBs several times across the three projects.

I am running SP3, HOWEVER! (before everyone jumps in) the problems I am having are EXACTLY the same from when I was running SP2.  Having spoken to many people at Avid I have off-the-record been confirmed that SP3 will/should be ok to run as it's nearing certification and would not show problems I am seeing. Also others are on here successfully reported running on SP3.

The reason I am running XP w/ SP3 is because my original copy was pre-SP1 and then by using online update would bring itself up to SP2. I was concerned that being such an old copy of XP that perhaps something was going wrong during the update, so I went and bought a second copy of XP but I could only find it with SP3. - Can I ask where/how/why you heard it's not for "us" ;)

Random Post:

I will attempt to email to you a notepad file with my machine's specs.  I hope it can be of value.

Michel

Anything helps... but what would be great to know is your FX3400 settings in your NVidia driver settings, what you have switched off and on in your settings. 

The only difference in terms of my system and yours is the CPU speed and that I have extra memory, I do wonder with mine being that little bit slower in the CPU department if that would cause these probs, however I'm doubtful for a couple of reasons. Firstly looking at my final passmark score using the passmark software (which seems to be how many people review speed of computers) I'm not that far off your system in terms of final score. Secondly I know plenty of others using lower spec systems than mine and having success. 

Thanks! Al.

 Hi glasgoweditor,

Did you find a solution for this?  I have a Dell 490 with similar specs as your 470 and recently upgraded from Xpress Pro Studio to MC 2.8.1.   I'm running into some of the same freeze issues, particularly going from a 2d to a 3d PIP (adding a shadow)  .  It looks like this thread left you hanging a bit and was wondering about your end result.

Doug

DWPlum:

 Hi glasgoweditor,

Did you find a solution for this?  I have a Dell 490 with similar specs as your 470 and recently upgraded from Xpress Pro Studio to MC 2.8.1.   I'm running into some of the same freeze issues, particularly going from a 2d to a 3d PIP (adding a shadow)  .  It looks like this thread left you hanging a bit and was wondering about your end result.

 

Doug

 

Hi Doug!

Nope it's still not sorted :( 

Also I have a 670 not a 470 so not sure how different that is from yours..