2018 MacMini experiment on ProTools HDX

[khoop2112]

Originally Posted by LDS

I would try running a big bunch of tests to try and narrow it down. What does the graph look like if you run the same test using the onboard graphics card rather than the eGPU?

What does the graph look like if you run the same tests with the onboard graphics and eGPU, but have the built-in audio selected in Pro Tools rather than HDX?

How does the CPU usage vary between those tests?

Changed playback engine off HDX. Same load to video card.

Then connected my only main monitor directly to Mini using Integrated graphics. Left GPU connected for other monitors. GPU History in Activity monitor INCREDIBLY low for what I was doing with ProTools. Same session, instead of the graph showing video card usage at 100%, the integrated graphics looks like closer to 10-20%. I have no idea why.

[Guy McDude]

Originally Posted by khoop2112

Changed playback engine off HDX. Same load to video card.

Then connected my only main monitor directly to Mini using Integrated graphics. Left GPU connected for other monitors. GPU History in Activity monitor INCREDIBLY low for what I was doing with ProTools. Same session, instead of the graph showing video card usage at 100%, the integrated graphics looks like closer to 10-20%. I have no idea why.

Good intel right there, thanks!

[V5V]

Are you doing any "load balancing" between the two Thunderbolt busses? I haven't seen it mentioned here (other than Darryl's comment about the existence of two busses), but if I missed it, never mind and carry on.

The eGPU is bandwidth hungry, so ideally it would be on its own buss with the audio cards on the other. According to Mike Wuerthele on Appleinsider, the ports are split evenly between the two controllers -- two on the left and two on the right.

[khoop2112]

Yep - eGPU on one side of the TB3 ports, HDX on the other.

[Markk]

Hi Team,

I'm waiting for 2019 to see what the new MAC PRO offers up, but this is SUPER interesting to me for some of my post ADR stages. Anyone running ~100 tracks with only an HDX/HD NATIVE card and two monitors?

[khoop2112]

So - been over a week running my 2018 Mini. Sold my 2013. Working really, really great. Today I am trying a Razer Core X eGPU with Vega 64 card, and the graphics overall feel zippier, although scrolling and dragging tracks in PT seems the same or very slightly better.

Eucon feels great, sharing same Ethernet port as my home network. I can do crazy amounts of surfing, iMessages, checking Mail WHILE bouncing to disk and it never chokes. On my 2013 I had to shut down all apps while doing a BTD.

I know this is an unsupported config but so far I'm very impressed - enough so to have sold my 2013 MP.

Again, I think as an non-HDX user it can't be recommended, as I never put my buffers lower than 512. I've had friends with anything past HS 10.13.3 have a mess of a time trying to record at lower buffer rates.

I'll post more after using this Vega 64 for a bit.

[Fidelis]

Thank you for all the tests and feedback! I’m still on a 2009 Mac Pro (upgraded to 5.1) and looking for a change.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[~ufo~]

FYI, there have definitely been problems with PT on low buffers in recent years, huge problems, so much that I started recording on PT on win8.1 on my 3.33 6-core mac pro, because it had become unbearably bad at 96k 64 buffer on Mac on my HD Native system.

Since 2018.7 it's been on par with the Windows performance and very useable again.
Not perfect, but very useable.

if it's useable at low buffers at 96k on my 3.33 6-core cheese grater, I see no reason why it wouldn't be more than useable on the new i7 Mac Mini.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by ~ufo~

if it's useable at low buffers at 96k on my 3.33 6-core cheese grater, I see no reason why it wouldn't be more than useable on the new i7 Mac Mini.

Well except the elephant in the control room: the Mac Mini runs Mojave and currently there is known issues with Mojave and small IO buffers. Once Avid claims that is fixed, then we can worry about what is actually doable at smaller IO buffer sizes with the Mac Mini.

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...m-Requirements

[khoop2112]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Well except the elephant in the control room: the Mac Mini runs Mojave and currently there is known issues with Mojave and small IO buffers. Once Avid claims that is fixed, then we can worry about what is actually doable at smaller IO buffer sizes with the Mac Mini.

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...m-Requirements

Exactly. I felt it was a worthwhile experiment trying as I'm an HDX user, and I had 2 weeks to return the MacMini if it didn't work. Ended up working great for me, but obviously non-HDX guys shouldn't attempt until Avid figures out the 10.13.4 and higher issues...