When specifying a PC to run ENTTEC LED Mapper, several important factors are to consider. You’re going to want a robust system – after all, it’s better to be running at 60% capacity than 100%. Therefore, the most critical component is your CPU. The more layers you’re going to want to map, and the more Universes of control you require, the faster and more powerful your CPU will have to be.
Software like ENTTEC LED Mapper doesn’t need a lot of RAM. 8GB will do you nicely.
If you use more than two built-in effects simultaneously, then a medium-range GPU is recommended. A one-gigabit network port will be enough for 2048 Universes @ 44fps.
You should run all content off of an SSD (we recommend a capacity of 128GB).
The computer requirements depend on the media type and resolution. For example, playing multiple HD videos requires a good computer. A rule of thumb is you can play one full HD video @ 30fps for each 2 GHz CPU core. So, if you have an Intel i7 4 GHz (4 cores), you should be able to play eight full HD videos. Increasing the playback speed to 2x means the fps also increases two times, and the number of videos you can play simultaneously is roughly divided by two. The table below shows the approximate number of videos you can play simultaneously at 30 fps, depending on your CPU. CPU Speed x Cores Full HD:
For live video performances, when you want to change the playback speed and go up to 10x, the recommended video resolution is 640×360. For the DMX output, a 1 Gigabit network should be able to handle 2048 universes @ 44fps. For more universes, a supplementary network card and a second Ethernet network are recommended.
If using multiple layers of generative Fx within your performance, an NVIDIA GeForce 900 / NVIDIA 10 series graphics card or better is recommended.
Where should I install my ELM computer?
Ideally, in a control room – somewhere dry with non-condensing humidity and no sudden temperature changes – Rackmount PCs are our go-to.
If you’re looking to use ELM on a touring application and your PC could get battered around in a flight case, you may also wish to consider a shock-mounting system to help protect it.
Content Lagging
Many computer manufacturers have built-in 'eco modes' or power-saving features to help you reduce your energy footprint with your computer. Unfortunately, many power save modes will affect hard drive and network output, which will affect how well ELM can run in these low-power states. This can manifest in dropped frames, slow response times, or laggy output to your pixels.
From Windows 11 22H2 onward, Microsoft introduced an Efficiency Mode primarily designed to reduce power consumption. - If seeing lag, check to ensure no limits have been applied to ELM's performance.
For best practice and to stop this from happening on your installation, ensure your PC’s ‘Sleep’, ‘Turn off Monitor’, and any 3rd party ‘Eco’ / Power Save settings are disabled.
The 'Turn off Monitor' or 'Monitor Sleep' function should also be set to “never” to ensure the video card doesn’t throttle or even get put to sleep to save power. You can still save energy by powering down the monitor when not directly in use, while ELM still uses the fully-functioning video card.
If these settings are disabled and the same outcome is observed, check your computer's Task Manager to ensure your computer isn’t using a high percentage of your CPU or GPU capacity.
If this is the case, upgrading to a more powerful computer or reducing the number of stages or complexity of effects you are running in your ELM project file is recommended. Reducing stage size and project complexity will conserve your PC’s resources and ensure ELM isn’t bottle-necked by the computer’s processing power.