System Hardware Guide
The specifications for the host PC will depend on the type of content and the number of different content channels you wish to run.
Please see below a number of use cases and the relevant PC specs that are recommended for them.
| Example use cases | Up to 4 different content channels | Up to 6 different content channels | Up to 8 different content channels | Up to 12 different content channels | Up to 16 different content channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Static slides Images without animation | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 4GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 8GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 12GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 |
| Rich slides with animations Web-based content | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 8GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 8GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 24GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 |
| HD videos Web-based CMS | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 8GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 24GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows7,8,10, Server2012 R2, Server 2016 | Contact us for more information |
Please note:
1. Monitors AnyWhere can be installed on a PC or a virtual machine (VM).
For more information on VM see our guide : how to install Monitors AnyWhere on a virtual machine.
2. For all cases it’s recommended to use a Gigabit switch to connect the zero clients and controlling PC.
3. Installing an additional display card would off-load the CPU and act to improve performance when video content is displayed.
Our solution was tested successfully with the following video cards:
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 980 Ti – Recommend for up to 4 full HD streams
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1050 Ti – Recommend for up to 4 full HD streams
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 – Recommend for up to 6 full HD streams
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1070 – Recommend for up to 8 full HD streams
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1080 – Recommend for up to 12 full HD streams
- AMD Radeon R7 – Recommend for up to 6 full HD streams
- AMD Radeon R9 – Recommend for up to 8 full HD streams
Other display adapter will probably work as well.
Selecting the Host PC specifications for a Video Wall setup
The specifications for the host PC depend on the type of content, the size of the video wall and the number of video walls that will be run from a single PC.
Please see below a number of use cases and the relevant PC specs that are recommended for them.
| Example use cases | 3x1,4x1,2x2, 3x2 | 4x2,3x3, 4x4, 10x1 | 5x5, 6x5, 10x2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static slides Web browsers | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 8GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 8 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 5 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 3 |
| 1080p videos Content Management Systems (CMS) | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 6 An additional video card is required | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 3 An additional video card is required | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 2 An additional video card is required |
| 4K videos | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 2 An additional video card is required | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 2 An additional video card is required | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 1 An additional video card is required |
| 6K videos | N/A | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 1 An additional video card is required | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 Number of video walls: 1 An additional video card is required |
Please note:
1. Running a video wall on a virtual machine (VM) is not recommended.
Since our zero clients rely heavily on the CPU and GPU of the hardware on which it is installed, running a video wall on a virtual machine is not recommended or supported.
2. For all cases it’s recommended to use a Gigabit switch connecting the zero clients and host PC.
3. The new capabilities within the OSBASE drivers allow bezel correction, grouping multiple screens as one big display and much more. Contact us for more details.
4. Installing an additional display card would off-load the CPU and act to improve performance when video content is displayed
Our solution was tested successfully with the following video cards:
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 980 Ti – Recommend for Full HD grid video walls
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1050 Ti – Recommend for 4K grid video walls
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 – Recommend for 6K grid and creative video walls
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1070 – Recommend for 6K grid and creative video walls
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1080 – Recommend for 8K grid and creative video walls
- AMD Radeon R7 – Recommend for 4K grid video walls
- AMD Radeon R9 – Recommend for 6K grid and creative video walls
Selecting the Host PC specifications for Screen Grouping (cloning)
The new capabilities within the OSBASE driver allow you to create groups of screens which will be cloned and all show the same content.
The specifications for the host PC will depend on the type of content and the number of screens per group.
Please see below a number of use cases and the relevant PC specs that are recommended for them.
| Example use cases | Clone same content on up to 4 groups | Clone same content on up to 8 groups | Clone same content on up to 16 groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static slides Web browsers | CPU: Core i5 (4th gen min) RAM: 8GB Windows10 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows10 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 |
| 1080p Videos Content Managements Systems (CMS) | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows10 | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 16GB Windows10 An additional video card is required | CPU: Core i7 (4th gen min) RAM: 32GB Windows10 An additional video card is required |
Please note:
1. Running the Clone feature on a virtual machine (VM) is not recommended for dynamic content.
Since our zero clients rely heavily on the CPU and GPU of the hardware on which it is installed, running a screen cloning setup for showing videos on the displays is not recommended when the host is a virtual machine. For static type of content there should be no issue to use the clone feature.
2. For all cases it’s recommended to use a Gigabit switch connecting the zero clients and host PC.
3. Installing an additional display card would off-load the CPU and act to improve performance when video content is displayed.
Our solution was tested successfully with the following video cards:
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 980 Ti
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1050 Ti
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1070
- NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1080
- AMD Radeon R7
- AMD Radeon R9
Network utilization considerations
Monitors AnyWhere uses HDMI over LAN zero clients technology. Zero clients replace graphic cards and connect a central computer to each display, through a local area network.
Please see below a number of use cases and the relevant network utilization they can be expected to take.
| Example use case | Up to 4 different content channels or 4 cloned groups and Video Walls | Up to 8 different content channels or 8 cloned groups and Video Walls | Up to 16 different content channels or 16 cloned groups and Video Walls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static slides Web browsers | up to 10Mbps | up to 10Mbps | up to 10Mbps |
| PowerPoint presentations 1080p Videos Content Managements Systems (CMS) | up to 25Mbps | up to 50Mbps | up to 150Mbps |
| Video Walls 4K videos | up to 150Mbps | up to 300Mbps | up to 500Mbps |