This is a 43-page PDF guide that covers PC components, tweaking to get the best performance, PCIe lanes, power supplies, you name it. It is limited to Resolve 14 and 15 only, and was created in early 2018.
DOWNLOAD IT HERE (PDF, v1.0, 43 MB – Right Click and choose ‘Save As…’)
Enjoy!
Updates
November 14th 2018
This is the last update to this guide.
I have updated to DaVinci Resolve 15.1, the paid version. It is stable, and some of the new OFX and features are welcome.
It works just as quickly as v14. I don’t see any major improvements in workflow. The interface is still laggy, especially with audio issues. It only affects long form work though, which is why Resolve isn’t a professional editing program yet. Also, the audio plugins leave a lot to be desired.
I also took a look at the Fusion tab and I must say you need a couple more GPUs to make it sing. I tried using the OFX Test plugin for 3D effects and it was slow. So if you’re planning on using Fusion you definitely need more GPU firepower.
I have used the system for the following codecs now:
- Blackmagic RAW – works great
- Cinema DNG – works great
- Redcode RAW – is amazing all the way to 8K
- Prores/DNxHD/DNxHR – works great
- H.264 – tolerable
- H.265 5K from the GH5 – single stream only. If I add more than one stream it stutters and I get about 9 fps.
June 30th 2018
I have now completely transitioned from Creative Cloud to Resolve. I’m still using v14 because it is stable, and I don’t care for the new features.
As a stress test, I edited and graded Rice Mill: Experiments in Color on this system.
The grade involved power windows and multiple nodes. I used IPP2, which greatly simplifies Red workflows, and the colors look great. The did not include noise reduction or OFX. The performance is great, as smooth as butter. I edited and graded 6K footage in full premium resolution with still just the one 1080Ti graphics card.
I believe with another card it can breeze through more complex grades, so the performance is completely satisfactory. I now edit all my YouTube videos with this system, and it’s all good. Rendering is almost realtime or better, which is all I needed with this system!
Here’s Rice Mill: Experiments in color, for your reference:
This was an experimental project I shot over two days. The goal was to understand how shooting with a high-end camera and equipment would be different, and the workflow, etc.
Gear:
- Red Dragon 6K WS
- Arri Master Primes
- Arri Skypanel and Arrisun 575W Pars
- Graded in Resolve using IPP2
April 8th 2018
Which option did I pick ultimately?
I picked option 2, or the Mini Monitor 4K with an FSI DM240 Monitor via SDI. I waited for a couple of months for Blackmagic to ship the Decklink 8K Pro (supposed to ship in January but still not shipping as of this post) but gave up.
- My GUI is a cheap LG 32UD59 4K monitor. It is driven by the GPU. This is a VA panel, so the blacks are great. But everything else is bad. There are clear uniformity issues and the monitor drifts quickly. I used DisplayCal to calibrate it using my X-Rite i1 Display Pro and it fairly matches my FSI so it’s not too bad. Good enough for GUI home-based work, though I wouldn’t put it in front of a client. Bottom line, I don’t recommend this monitor.
- My second GUI is a 21″ Dell 1080p monitor. It is driven by the GPU. I use it for the Media Pool, etc. It really makes life easier when editing.
- My primary monitoring display is an FSI DM240, which works great. It is driven by the Mini Monitor 4K.
Regarding usage and software
I have been using my system for quite a few projects and have been smoothly transitioning to Resolve from Premiere Pro. So far I’m happy to report there are no bugs or issues, and Resolve is fully stable. My Creative Cloud license expires in a month and I don’t see any reason to continue with CC.
The only issues I have with Resolve are Fairlight and some UI issues. Fairlight is too minimal to be taken seriously, especially compared to Audition. So it looks like I need to purchase a third-party plugin to get similar features or try something like Audacity.
What about performance?
It is amazing. Both Premiere Pro and Resolve work great. This last week I’ve been editing 6K Red Dragon material in Full Resolution debayer and it is giving me real-time playback even with one LUT and minimal color grading (single node only).
Once I complete the edit I’ll finally start my first major color grading project on this system. It’s sort of the final test, if you will. So far it’s rocking on just the single GPU.
I should have one final update in a couple of months once I’ve completely transitioned to Resolve Studio and have sorted out my new audio workflow.
Here’s a photo as it looks now:
October 17th 2017
I’ve added a new video you might find informative. How to choose a 4K monitor for color grading in DaVinci Resolve:
October 8th 2017
In case you want to watch and download the final render of the test project I did for the Resolve video:
October 1st 2017
Gigabyte have released a new X399 motherboard with support for Thunderbolt. You still need to purchase an additional Thunderbolt card (it’s not clear if they are shipping the motherboard with it). Read more about it here.
