Decode using hardware acceleration not available

Hello,
I have Resolve Studio (free) 18.0.4 on Windows 11. graphic card: NVIDIA RTX A5000 24GB.
I don't have the option in my preferences to enable "Decode H.264/HEVC using hardware acceleration".
The latest NVIDIA drivers are installed using GeForce Experience.

I restored a backup from an older Laptop to this new PC. Resolve has recognized the new Graphics card, but I don't see the option to decode using hardware acceleration. Other posts I've read on this topic are caused by the graphics card not having enough RAM - this is clearly not the case here.

Could it be a hang up from the old Laptop?
Thanks in advance.

I was considering getting an RTX 3090Ti for my desktop machine (see signature) but I understand that hardware decoding of H264/H265 is not actually implemented in the NVIDIA GPU but rather in the more recent Intel GPUs accompanying the latest Intel processors (as you can see, my i9 is a few years old and doesn't support this feature).

I hope that someone else with practical experience with the hardware decoding of H264/H265 under Windows will be able to chime-in with a definitive answer.

[Dwaine Maggart]

You either have Resolve Studio, or you have Resolve (free), you can't have both.

If you have the free (non-Studio) version, you won't have the hardware decode acceleration option.

Look in the About DaVinci Resolve menu. If it doesn't say Studio, it's the free version.

Dwaine, what hardware is required to hardware decode h265 provided a user has Resolve Studio? Thx

H265 can mean various things. The Intel IGPU covers virtually all of them but a Nvidia card will do 4.2.0 the problem is 4.2.2

H265 can mean various things. The Intel IGPU covers virtually all of them but a Nvidia card will do 4.2.0 the problem is 4.2.2

Good point, I was thinking of 4:2:2. Really unfortunate that nVidia doesn’t hardware decode 4:2:2 h265.

If you have the free (non-Studio) version, you won't have the hardware decode acceleration option.

Apologies, I don't have Studio (so hence no hardware decode acceleration option), I needed to read the manual in more depth.
Thanks for helping

[Dwaine Maggart]

@Steve: What Nick said. In addition, its going to depend on what capabilities the GPU has, and what exactly you need. Plus this important tidbit: the GPU needs a minimum of 4GB of VRAM for Resolve to enable hardware decode acceleration.

@Steve: What Nick said. In addition, its going to depend on what capabilities the GPU has, and what exactly you need. Plus this important tidbit: the GPU needs a minimum of 4GB of VRAM for Resolve to enable hardware decode acceleration.

Thanks Dwaine. I was thinking of upgrading my P4000 to an RTX 3090Ti (which has 24 GB VRAM) but my primary source video is H265 10-bit 4:2:2 from a Canon R6 which is notoriously slow to playback without hardware decoding. My MacBook plays it fine but my PC (see signature) does not and I understand that having an RTX 3090Ti won't help (so there's little value in me upgrading my PC at this point I guess).

RTX 3090 helps encoding and several other Resolve processes but not 4:2:2.
If you have a recent Intel 12 gen CPU and 3090 you will have a good system The Intel CPU Quicksync covers the 4:2:2 chroma , the 3090 everything else.

RTX 3090 helps encoding and several other Resolve processes but not 4:2:2.
If you have a recent Intel 12 gen CPU and 3090 you will have a good system The Intel CPU Quicksync covers the 4:2:2 chroma , the 3090 everything else.

This is my understanding which is why with my i9 (see my signature) I'm out-of-luck. Next time I build a desktop system (probably never, lol) I will have access to a newer CPU.

RTX 3090 helps encoding and several other Resolve processes but not 4:2:2.
If you have a recent Intel 12 gen CPU and 3090 you will have a good system The Intel CPU Quicksync covers the 4:2:2 chroma , the 3090 everything else.

This is my understanding which is why with my i9 (see my signature) I'm out-of-luck. Next time I build a desktop system (probably never, lol) I will have access to a newer CPU.

Can't you just replace that CPU?

Not sure - my mobo is a few years old as well - I'd need to research whether the Asus x299 Deluxe (I think that's what is is) supports the latest Intel processors.

Still, it becomes insanely expensive, doesn't it?

It must have come with a manual.

It must have come with a manual.

I checked it out on the Asus site - no, that mobo does not support the latest CPUs.

For me, given that I absolutely need hardware decode of my R6 footage, it doesn't make any sense this time around. Maybe next build, lol.

I have the same issue, amd 5800x rtx 3090, etc
Davinci doesn't like this h265 4:2:2 from Canon R6
but plays brilliantly with Premiere. Why????

That is strange and a good question that without supporting hardware decoding it plays brilliantly with Premiere.

If it plays fine in Premiere it's likely your settings.

Go into Preferences. Look at Decode options. You need to make sure both your GPU and Intel QuickSync are checked.

I'm assuming Studio. No idea if it's supported with the free version.

my settings in Davinci are ok, all checked, ( I also tried then to uncheck them, because didn't have any sense )
could be a Bug of Version 18?

( I also noticed that 18 is also insanely slow exporting videos, takes almost the same duration of the video )