Blackmagic Forum

Hello,
on page 17 of the DaVinci_Resolve_15_Configuration_Guide.pdf it reads: . . .support the use of a PCIe expander to add extra PCIe slots and power." and ". . . have all image processing GPUs in the expander."

Does that mean I could attach an array of GPUs like used in cryptocurrency mining rigs to my editing machine and Resolve will utilize them all?
I. e. working on 4K to 8K footage like working on a 1080p project?

Not exactly, since video processing is not only about processing power. Data throughput is as important, while cryptomining is moving small amounts of data and needs massive computing power.

Resolve Studio can utilize multiple GPUs, that's right. But you'll see deminishing returns even with a very well balanced Linux system beyond 3 GPUs. With eGPUs via Thunderbolt, even with TB3, that bus will be the bottleneck and you may not even get full power from more than one extra GPU in the external box.

Thanks Uli,
so if I understand you correctly, the fastest working station for Resolve we could get as of today is a 3 x QUADRO GV100 setup with dual Epyc 7000 CPUs for example?

Hi.

You must understand that, this paragraph of the manual is very old and bought over from several previus generation of the Configuration Guide.

I believe that you still can use a PCIe expander to add extra PCIe slots and power in the Studio version of Resolve, but I think the max number of graphics cards are 4.

But I am not sure you will gain any general benefit of it. As I understand will only some special functions such as Noice Reduction etc. benefit from dual GPU. Other general function may be a little slower. And todays DaVinchi Resolve version 15 will require all multi graphics cards to be the same for best performance.

And no you can't attach an array of GPUs like used in cryptocurrency mining. They only have one PCIe lane. You will need an expander with 16 x PCIe lanes, or may be with at least 8 PCIe lanes.

This is my understanding. If I am wrong do I hope somebody from BMD will correct me.

Regards Carsten.

Hi Carsten,
even a dual QUADRO GV100 each GPU on a 16x slot would be OK for 4K and up projects.

Maybe someone from BMD could confirm your 4 GPU statement.

Also, is there a max number of threads that Resolve can utilize?
A dual Epyc 7000 machine would have 64 cores, 128 threads.

on paper (and passmark) dual 8180's is massivly faster than the fastest dual EPYC 7000's

not that i'm about to buy either, the dual 12c's i have now do everything i need

I think the payback comes when you're working on very large frame sizes, 4K and beyond.

Resolves supports 8 processing GPUs. The limitation is with the OS and the computer hardware.

We have tested Dual GP100s and GV100s in different chassis. Fast card. Particularly the v series has fast GPU memory, not just a lot of it.

Resolve is also multiple threaded, so more CPU cores are good too.

Some W10 systems will work with 4 GPUs, some only 3. Frankly for most users 2x GV100 is plenty.

I recently did some 8K work with a single GP100 at 24p and we demoed the new Hans Solo trailer at NAB with this config in a Dell 7920. Also used HP Z8 and Supermicro.

Dermot Shane wrote:on paper (and passmark) dual 8180's is massivly faster than the fastest dual EPYC 7000's

But with the price difference between those CPU's, though, you could buy 4x Titan V GPU's.

Hello,
A clarification, most of the responses have said with Resolve Studio. Does the free version of Resolve utilize multiple GPUs?

Nino Mancuso wrote:Hello,
A clarification, most of the responses have said with Resolve Studio. Does the free version of Resolve utilize multiple GPUs?

Studio only. Only exception is the free version will use both GPUs in a Mac Pro trashcan.