Hardware Selection and Configuration Guide

DaVinci
Resolve 14
August 2017

The world’s most popular and advanced on set, editing, color correction,
audio post and finishing tool for Mac, Windows and Linux

Contents
Getting Started

3

Building a professional non-linear editing,color correction, audio post and finishing system

3

Guidelines for selecting your OS and system hardware

3

Media storage selection and file systems

7

Hardware Selection and Setup

8

DaVinci Resolve for Mac

9

DaVinci Resolve for Windows

14

DaVinci Resolve for Linux

25

Shopping Guide29

Mac systems

29

Windows systems

31

Linux systems

33

Media storage

34

GPU selection

36

Expanders38

Accessories

39

Third party panels

39

Windows and Linux Systems: PCIe Slot Configurations

41

ASUS PCIe configuration

41

HP PCIe configuration

42

Supermicro PCIe configuration

43

PCIe expanders: Slot configurations

44

Panel Information

45

Regulatory Notices and Safety Information

47

Warranty

48

Building a professional non-linear editing,color correction, audio post and finishing system
DaVinci Resolve is the worlds most popular and advanced professional on-set, editing,color correction, audio post production and finishing tool for Mac, Windows and Linux.
It’s completely scalable, resolution independent and also natively supports an extensive list ofimage, audio and video formats so you can mix various sources on the timeline at the sametime. Unlike traditional editing, grading, audio post or finishing systems all image processing in
DaVinci Resolve is graphics processor (GPU) based. Some of the features require a higher end
GPU so the better the quality of the GPU, better the performance benefits. To get the extra
performance benefits of the GPU this guide will help you select the correct one for your needs.

Whether you are just starting your editing or grading or audio post for film or TV career, building
a post production facility or upgrading your existing DaVinci Resolve suite, this guide contains
important information which will help you upgrade, buy or build and configure your system.

Guidelines for selecting your OS and system hardware
The system you select to upgrade, buy or build may be based on what computer you alreadyhave and can update, or a specific operational or technical requirement.
The OS selection maybe as simple as what you have or prefer, or it’s guided by the system cost,
however it’s really important to consider that each OS has its advantages over the others andsometimes the requirement to render in a particular codec will define your selection.
Depending on your expected source files and codec and the selected timeline resolution, thehardware configuration defines the speed that you can edit, playback and grade and also thetime to render your finished timeline.
There are hardware configurations detailed below starting from a single dedicated GPU for
image processing up to a eight GPU system suitable for demanding 8K and 4K stereoscopic
grading sessions. While performance varies greatly, most modern Intel, AMD and NVIDIA GPUs
that support OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 3.0 compute capability will operate with DaVinci Resolve.

3

Getting Started

Getting Started

In selecting your hardware configuration please consider these practical and often physicallimitations and scale your system based on your budget as well as your expected
performance requirement.
DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci Resolve Studio for the most part have the same hardware
performance needs.

Camera RAW and Codec considerations
With the increasing use of digital cameras, projects now often include camera clips at HD, UHD,
4K-DCI or higher resolutions. While some cameras provide UHD or 4K or higher capture
resolutions they usually store the images as compressed data as this takes less storage spaceand bandwidth to record.
However for editing and grading, the compressed data needs to be decompressed to the full
RGB per pixel bit depth that will use four times more processing power of a HD image for thesame real time grading performance. The decompression process, like compression, uses the
CPU so the heavily compressed codecs need more powerful and a greater number of CPU cores.
Once the files are decompressed DaVinci Resolve uses the GPU for all image processing so
the number of GPU cores and the size of GPU RAM becomes a very important factor when
dealing with UHD and 4K-DCI sources and timelines.
For uncompressed images, in industry standards like DPX or EXR particularly with 16 bit files,
the CPU has an easier time but greater demands are placed on the disk array, RAID controller,
storage connection and even the file system itself.

4

Getting Started

As there are many potential bottle necks within an image processing pipeline depending on theclip codec, CPU speed and number of cores, system RAM, the number of GPUs, their core
count and GPU RAM, even the motherboard slot speed, disk speed, etc. and each of these canaffect the playback, editing, grading and display of your timeline.

Of course you can use DaVinci Resolve with your mouse and keyboard or with a pen and tablet
however ideally for grading you should use all the benefits that come with the DaVinci Resolve
control panel. Whether it’s the Micro or Mini control panel, or the Advanced control panel with thecustom backlit keys featuring RGB color and intensity to suit your mood and taste, these panels
will dramatically improve your creative throughput and will definitely impress your clients.

As an example, with a single key on the panel you can switch your trackballs to grading
shadows, mid tones and highlights using log controls with high and low range, contrast andmaster pivot. There are individual controls on the panel for contrast, lift, gain, color temperature,tint, highlight and lowlight recovery, saturation, color boost and mid tone detail.
In fact each knob allows super fine parameter adjustment and with a simple push, you can reset
each parameter back to the default.
Colorists for years have reported more than double and often triple efficiency grading when
they use the DaVinci panels. You can use this extra speed for creating more looks, getting
through your job quicker when you need to, or just impressing your client by being able todeliver the vision they’re looking for without any fuss.

Client, edit and grading monitor connections
To deliver consistent quality video deliverables, all editors and colorists working on TV or film
projects will need to use a proper color calibrated monitor connected to an SDl or HDMI video
l/O card. This device will occupy a PCle slot in the computer, or a Thunderbolt port dependingon the system you have and the video card you select.
DaVinci Resolve supports the Blackmagic Design range of DeckLink and UltraStudio capture
and playback devices for SDI video and embedded audio ingest and playback. This I/O device
is also used for connecting your client, editing and calibrated grading monitor. Users can loop
a single feed from the VTR to the grading monitor or connect the second SDI output directly tothe monitor.

5

Getting Started

DaVinci Resolve control panel benefitsThis same card or another can be used for SDI ingest into DaVinci Resolve from a deck orlive camera.
You can also use the UltraStudio Mini Recorder and Mini Monitor with DaVinci Resolve however
there is no ingest or tape transport controls available with these devices.
To use the Blackmagic Design video I/O devices with DaVinci Resolve, you will need to install
the Desktop Video drivers. These are provided along with your I/O device. The latest version of
the drivers are available from the support page at www.blackmagicdesign.com

UI and grading monitors
DaVinci Resolve offers support for a wide variety of UI resolutions in single and also dual
monitor configurations. The application is optimized for the Retina 5K screen (5120x2880) witha resultant resolution of 2560x1440 and scales in a number of ways to even operate on laptops
screens with 1440x900 resolution. If you do not have a Retina 5K screen the UI layout works at
all resolutions from 3840x2160 to 1920x1200. Lower resolutions are supported with abridged
name and icons at the controls.
We don’t currently recommend any specific grading monitors so no matter which you decideon, it’s vey important to have it calibrated, either by an expert or yourself using a high quality
probe. You can use one of the calibration programs with Resolve, or a standalone application,
generate a 3D LUT and use it in the monitor LUT field within DaVinci Resolve, or within themonitor itself if that capability exists.

Whether you are grading for the latest Hollywood blockbuster, a TV series, web video or yourown hobby shots, using a non calibrated monitor or one which drifts in black, white and color
values means your shots could look different each day or week and certainly make consistentdeliverables a challenge even for the most experienced colorist.

6

Getting Started

You can also connect the HDMI output from the I/O device to feed a second monitor.

Media storage selection and file systems

7

Mac

Getting Started

DaVinci Resolve for Mac supports a number of internal and external storage systems howeveralmost any storage, designed for Mac and high bandwidth media, will be suitable for use with
the Mac file system or the more expansive StorNext for a SAN system.
A current model MacPro, MacBook Pro and iMac can be connected directly to a Thunderbolt
disk array. Thunderbolt disk arrays provide fast, high capacity disk storage and are easily
expandable as your media storage needs grow.
Facilities with SAN based shared storage can work concurrently with projects that are being
graded in other Mac, Windows or Linux suites. The most common connection method for the
SAN storage is via a Thunderbolt to Fibre channel adapter to connect to a SAN.
The Preferences option under the DaVinci Resolve menu is where you can add or remove
internal and external disk storage for use with Resolve. The first volume in the list will be used
to store gallery stills and cache files so this should be a drive that is always on your system.

Windows
Windows users can format their drives to the standard NTFS or any Windows supported format
such as ExFAT. An external disk array and a RAlD or HBA card can also be used for additional
disk performance.
Like Mac and Linux, facilities with Windows systems can use SAN based shared storage
via single or dual 16Gbit or 32Gbit Fibre Channel connections to a FC card in the
Resolve workstation.
The Preferences option under the DaVinci Resolve menu is where you can add or remove
internal and external disk storage for use with Resolve. The first volume in the list will be used
to store gallery stills and cache files so this should be a drive that is always connected andaccessible to your system.

Linux
DaVinci Resolve for Linux supports the Quantum StorNext file system for image storage
management. This has proven to be a robust and reliable file system for direct attached storage(DAS) and storage area network (SAN) systems.
StorNext can provide realtime 8K bandwidth on a continuous basis without dropping or delaying
frames as sometimes seen with other file systems. The StorNext license should be purchasedfrom Quantum for a DAS system or ensure your facility has the license if connected to a SAN.
There are also a number of other vendors of file systems suitable for Linux. Blackmagic Design
only tests with StorNext but this is primarily because there are too many variations to test allothers, so we recommend you consult with your file system vendor for details of what eachsystem can offer you.
Once you have the file system installed, SAN based shared storage can be connected via
single or dual 16Gbit or 32Gbit Fibre Channel via a FC card in the Resolve workstation.

Time to select your system
The following pages can be used to help select a hardware configuration for a Mac, Windows
or Linux DaVinci Resolve system. System interconnection diagrams will also help you plug andplay the different components of your selected system.
As there are too many perfectly acceptable configurations for Blackmagic Design to test them
all so we recommend visiting the DaVinci Resolve section of the Blackmagic Design Forum toreview the feedback other users offer on different configurations and their success for different
user applications.
At the end of the guide is a shopping list for each OS where you will see system requirements
and recommendations, often with alternatives, and optional extras. GPU models alone change
quarterly so this guide should be used as that, a guide to what has been tested and somethingfor you to review before making your hardware selection. These are not exhaustive lists but
offer a guideline to help your selection.
We recommend you use this checklist to make sure you have all the items you need to buy andbuild your system.
Blackmagic Design items
 DaVinci Resolve Studio dongle or online activation
 Capture and playback card DaVinci Resolve Control Panel
System requirements
 Modern computer platform with at least a Quad core CPU and a powerful GPU
 UI monitor if you don’t select a laptop or iMac
 Internal Storage for the application and project database Keyboard and mouse
Optional extras
 Client, edit or grading monitor
 External media storage and connection
 UI and image processing GPUs for Windows and Linux PCIe Expander and external GPUs for Windows and Linux Thunderbolt expander for Mac
 DaVinci USB Keyboard
 USB tablet and pen USB extender UI extender Database Server for shared and collaborative workflows

8

Hardware Selection and Setup

Hardware Selection and Setup

DaVinci Resolve for Mac
Overview and system selection
The Mac offers the broadest format and codec support and systems are available from low
power laptops to the iMac for independent users up to the MacPro for facilities that need fasterprocessing. To select the best system configuration for your needs it’s important to understandhow you will use the system.
There are no special configurations for the majority of Mac systems so you can select from theoptions listed, select your Blackmagic Design supplied components and then follow the DaVinci
Resolve installation instructions.
All users should consider the media storage and other accessory options later in this guide andif you have a system using NVIDIA CUDA GPUs should read the third party driver info below
before you start Resolve.
Mac ProThe Mac Pro includes dual AMD GPUs and both of these are used for image processing, evenfor the free version of DaVinci Resolve. After extensive testing we recommend the D700 GPU
model. The D500 GPU model offers limited performance in comparison to the D700 and may
also exhaust the GPU ram with clips or timelines greater than HD, or when temporal processes,
NR and optical flow speed changes are requested.
The 12-core CPU model is ideal for when source clips are UHD or higher resolutions or include
heavy clip compression, such as clips from the RED and Sony camera range. We suggest aminimum of 8 CPU cores and 16GB system ram.
Connection of disk storage systems and the single or dual UI monitoring is via the Thunderbolt
2 ports. These Thunderbolt ports are also used to connect the Blackmagic Design capture andplayback card. There are no special setup requirements for the 2013 Mac Pro.
Mac Pro configuration
Thunderbolt
USB
HD-SDIElectrical PowerSERIALPRIMARY

MOTIONNODE +
LINEARQUALIFIER

WINDOW

COPY

BLUR

KEYER

PREV
STILL

SIZING

FX

USER

PREV
KF

HOME

Y LIFT

v

1

w

RAW

CURVES

TRACKERY GAMMA

4Y GAINCONTRAST

PIVOT

LOG

ALL

MID DETAILOFFSET

COLOR BOOSTSHADOWS

VIEWER

ALL

LEVEL

RGB

HIGHLIGHTS

RGB

7

2

PARALLEL

PASTE

NEXT
STILL

13

NEXT
KF

SATURATION

LEVEL

LAYER

5

APPEND8FULL
VIEWER

11

9

12

HIGHLIGHT

14

REF

15

HUE

GRAB
STILL

LUM MIX

UNDO

PLAY
STILL

ALL

3

6

NODE +
CIRCLE

10

REDO

PREV
MEM

RESET

LEVEL

RGB

LOOP

BYPASSDISABLE

PREV
NODE

NEXT
NODE

PREV
FRAME

NEXT
FRAME

PREV
CLIP

NEXT
CLIP






HDMI

DAVINCI RESOLVE MINI PANEL

MAC PROHDMI OUTNTSC/PAL OUT

HDMI IN

NTSC/PAL IN

Y OUT

B-Y OUTY IN

R-Y OUTAES OUT

B-Y INR-Y INAES IN

DI

DI D

DI A

REMOTE 1

REMOTE 2

TIMECODE
OUT

CH 1

CH 2
CH 3
ANALOG AUDIO OUT

CH 4

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

PUSH

TIMECODE
IN

CH 1

CH 2
CH 3
ANALOG AUDIO IN

CH 4

L
PCIe

O TI AL
OUT IN

DI

A

DI

DI

DI

DI D
R

REF INOPTICAL A
OUT/INSTEREO IN
D

D G

G

G DI IN

SD/HD/3G/6G/12G-SDI OUTULTRASTUDIO 4K EXTREME 3
GRADING MONITOR
MEDIA STORAGE

Hardware Selection and Setup

9

iMac

UHD timelines are practical with some performance limitations especially when using opticalflow speed changes, temporal processing and noise reduction.
The 27” Retina 5K iMac with 4GB GPU RAM and many of the older model iMacs with 2GB of
GPU memory will reach these GPU limits at lower resolutions and with fewer editing tracks orcolor grading nodes.
iMac and MacBook Pro configuration
Thunderbolt
USB
HD-SDIElectrical PowerSERIALPRIMARY

MOTIONNODE +
LINEARQUALIFIER

WINDOW

COPY

BLUR

KEYER

PREV
STILL

SIZING

FX

USER

PREV
KF

HOME

Y LIFT

v

1

w

RAW

CURVES

TRACKERY GAMMAY GAINALL
RGB

4CONTRAST

PIVOT

LOG

MID DETAILOFFSET

COLOR BOOSTSHADOWS

VIEWER

LEVEL

ALL
RGB

ALL
RGB

HIGHLIGHTS

7

2

PARALLEL

PASTE

NEXT
STILL

13

NEXT
KF

SATURATION

LEVEL

LAYER

5

3

6

NODE +
CIRCLE

10APPEND8FULL
VIEWER

11

9

12

HIGHLIGHT

14

REF

15

HUE

GRAB
STILL

LUM MIX

UNDO

PLAY
STILL

REDO

PREV
MEM

RESET

LEVEL
LOOP

BYPASSDISABLE

PREV
NODE

NEXT
NODE

PREV
FRAME

NEXT
FRAME

PREV
CLIP

NEXT
CLIP






MACBOOK PRO

DAVINCI RESOLVE MINI PANELULTRASTUDIO 4K

GRADING MONITOR
MEDIA STORAGE

Hardware Selection and Setup

10

The 27” Retina 5K iMac with 8GB GPU RAM provides a flexible and versatile desktop
workhorse for real time editing and grading material up to and including HD video. There are no
special setup requirements.

As all laptop systems are designed for portability and low power, for use with DaVinci Resolve
we recommend selecting the fastest CPU, 16GB of system memory and the GPU with the mostmemory that is currently available.
For example the Retina 15” MacBook Pro can be configured with a Radeon Pro 560 GPU option
with 4GB of memory.

MacBookThe mid 2017 MacBook in the highest performance configuration, with just 8GB of system RAM
and an Intel HD Graphics GPU, has been tested for use with HD ProRes files. For offline editing
while you’re traveling or just reviewing your BMD camera files from the days shoot its
performance while limited is operational with HD timelines.
Mac Mini
While the Mac Mini is not ideal for use as a Resolve workstation, due to its low performance
GPU, the current series are suitable for use as a central database server for full license Resolve
users that wish to share projects with a few other systems within their facility. Details of the Mac
Mini setup and installation of the Remote Database Server are at the end of this guide.

NVIDIA and CUDA drivers for Mac
Mac systems using AMD GPUs have the GPU drivers included in the Mac. If you are using
DaVinci Resolve from the Apple App Store this also uses the drivers within Mac even if you
have NVIDIA GPUs.
Systems using NVIDIA GPUs and also not using DaVinci Resolve from the Apple App Store willneed to have the correct NVIDIA and CUDA driver to operate the GPUs. While Resolve will
check the CUDA version on your system you may have to update it after any OS updates.
There are two parts to successful operation of your NVIDIA CUDA based GPUs.
NVIDIA drivers
If you use Mac OS X 10.8.4 or newer then Apple supplies within the OS NVIDIA drivers for theApple certified GPUs. If you plan to use a GPU that’s not certified for Mac the OS driver will notwork. In these cases, while not officially certified you can download and try the NVIDIA web
driver for non-Mac GPUs. Generally all older Mac certified cards will work with the latest driver.

11

Hardware Selection and Setup

MacBook Pro

If your Mac has NVIDIA GPU’s and does not have CUDA installed the DaVinci Resolve installer
will load the latest CUDA drivers suitable for Resolve. If however your system already has anewer CUDA driver that Resolve needs, the DaVinci Resolve installer will not update this driveras this may cause problems with other applications you have that use CUDA.
If the message, “WARNING: No CUDA Acceleration Hardware Detected“ appears when you
launch Resolve and your Mac contains the recommended NVIDIA GPUs and NVIDIA drivers for
those GPUs, you will need to quit Resolve and update to the correct CUDA drivers.
After quitting Resolve, go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences. Then click on the
CUDA icon to reveal the CUDA Preferences and note the installed CUDA driver version.
If the installed drivers are older than the certified version listed on the Resolve installer readme,
avoid clicking on the “Install CUDA Update” button and instead visit www.nvidia.com/object/
mac-driver-archive.html to download the certified CUDA driver version.
Once the certified CUDA drivers are installed, you will be able to successfully launch
DaVinci Resolve.

Installing DaVinci Resolve for Mac
Installing or updating Resolve is essentially the same process. Be sure to log in to your Mac as
the user that will be operating Resolve. You will need an Administrator password to install thesoftware on your system and we recommend that DaVinci Resolve be installed into thestandard Applications folder on your startup hard disk.
Mac App store version
For DaVinci Resolve purchased from the Mac App Store, just press “Install” in the App store
page for Resolve and the App Store takes care of everything. You can also receive alerts when
updates are available.
Blackmagic Design website version
Using the installer that was downloaded from the Blackmagic Design website, double click the‘Resolve Icon’ and follow the on-screen prompts to install the software.
The installation process takes just a couple of minutes. After the software has been installed
you may wish to add the application icon to your dock to make DaVinci Resolve easy to launch.
For DaVinci Resolve Studio you will need to activate your license online or use a USB dongle
which contains the Resolve for Mac license and must be connected to your computer before
launching the Resolve software.
Driver installation
Systems with a Blackmagic Design capture and playback card for your client, edit or grading
monitor you will need to install the latest Desktop Video drivers that are available from the
support page at www.blackmagicdesign.com.
If you use Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer or Adobe Premiere Pro on the same Mac
as Resolve, and you wish to use these applications with a DeckLink or UltraStudio, install thelatest Desktop Video drivers after installing your alternative editing applications. Blackmagic
Desktop Video drivers install associated easy setup options and presets for a number of otherediting applications.

12

Hardware Selection and Setup

CUDA drivers

There are three important hardware items to configure when you first start the
Resolve application.
1

Open the Preferences window from the DaVinci Resolve application menu.
The first tab shows the System Overview where you select the application language
and you can verify that Resolve has found your GPUs.

2

Go to the second tab, Media Storage. The first location in the storage list will become
the primary location for images, all proxies, cached files and gallery stills. Thislocation will usually not be your system disk but a specifically installed permanent
disk for media. Often it’s an internal or external RAID disk array and it needs plenty ofstorage capacity.
If you don’t have a permanently connected media array on your system we recommendthat you identify a folder on your system disk to use as your primary drive and folder
and then add and remove other drives as needed but don’t change the primary drive
until you have considered how to back up and restore your stills.
Click on the “+” (add) button to add a volume, folder or mount point to the list of disk
storage for your media. Click on the “-” (remove) button to remove a volume, folder or
mount point from the list of disk storage.

3

In the Video I/O and GPU tab select which capture and playback device you will
use for capture and playback. Depending on your workflow, this device may also beconnected to a VTR or camera. If you are using Resolve Live, select the video input
capture device.

This tab also has selections for using a Red Rocket card if available, or use the GPU for
RED image debayer. You can also select to use the Display GPU for image compute if
you have DaVinci Resolve Studio and also select here if you wish to use the computer
system audio output in preference to the capture and playback card. Finally for somesystems you can select the GPU processing mode here.
4

In the Control Panels tab choose which color grading control panel hardware you haveconnected to your system. DaVinci Resolve supports the current DaVinci Resolve
control panels but can also be used with third party panels from Avid, JLCooper,
Oxygen Tec and Tangent Devices. Details on connection follow later in this guide.
The Advanced tab is generally not required by most facilities as it’s for specific system
configurations. You should leave this blank unless directed otherwise.

5

After changing any of these preferences select save and restart the DaVinci Resolve
application.

13

Hardware Selection and Setup

Important steps for first use

DaVinci Resolve for Windows
Overview and system selection
The Microsoft Windows offers the broadest hardware support and systems are available fromlow power laptops to the generic motherboard build your own systems for independent users
up to the workstation class for facilities that need faster processing. Each has multiple options
to consider.
Standard configuration
DVI
USB
HD-SDI
Audio
Electrical PowerULTRASTUDIO SDISPEAKERSRESOLVE COMPUTERGUI MONITORGRADING MONITORRESOLVE CONTROL SURFACE

However in every case there are special performance and hardware configurations for theMicrosoft Windows systems so please refer to the hardware and OS setup information below.
Please also refer to the GPU driver information and follow the DaVinci Resolve installation
instructions and the three important hardware setup steps to get you started.
DaVinci Resolve supports Windows 10 Creators Edition. Legacy support exists for
Windows 8.1 Pro.
All desktop and workstation systems support the use of a PCIe expander to add extra PCIeslots and power. However additional PCIe cards in the computer, such as capture, storage oreven an expander HBA, should only be added to the slots shown in the tables below to avoid
causing a slow down in the performance of the Ul and image processing GPU cards.
For all systems using an expander, we generally recommend that you install a single Ul GPU inyour computer and have all image processing GPUs in the expander. While this guide refers to
configs with up to three GPUs, there are now third party systems available with more image
processing GPUs and for users interested in those configs please contact the vendor directly.

Hardware Selection and Setup

14

You will also find below a list of suppliers who can offer turnkey systems.
Please note that you cannot mix GPUs from the major suppliers, AMD and NVIDIA, in the one
system. We recommend using the same model GPU if multiples are used. A number of GPU
options are listed below, as are options for media storage, file system and accessories.
Advanced configuration
DVI
USB
HD-SDI
PCI-E Extender
Storage Connection
Audio
Electrical PowerRESOLVE COMPUTER
SPEAKERS

PCIe EXPANSIONGUI MONITOR

MEDIA STORAGE

GRADING MONITORRESOLVE CONTROL SURFACE

Generic PCs
If you have a tight budget you can consider one of the many generic pro motherboards now
available.
The ASUS motherboard and chassis listed is an example of a generic system that you can build
yourself. It will be suitable for most independent users even at 4K when a powerful GPU isinstalled. The biggest limitation of these systems is the single CPU so files that needdecompressing will use most of the CPUs capabilities.
Another key consideration when selecting a generic pro motherboard is not just how many fast
PCle Gen3 x 16 slots that are available, but how many operate at full speed when other slots areused. Often when you read the fine print, these motherboards only offer x16 speed when justone or two slots are used. Ultimately this reduces real time performance.

Hardware Selection and Setup

15

It is also very important that you install the latest USB 3.0 software drivers and firmware for yourmotherboard. Please visit the ASUS website for details.
Most ATX computer chassis provide as many as 10 disk bays for plenty of low cost, internal,
SATA disk storage. Alternatively external eSATA, Fibre Channel or even USB 3.0 disk arrays canbe used for media storage depending on your image resolution and number of files.

HP Z840
The HP Z840 provides a flexible and simple workhorse for previewing and grading material up
to and including 4K. As this system has dual CPUs it is more suitable for decompressing hi-res
files, such as 4K, 5K and 6K camera RAW.
It can be used as a desktop tower or rack-mounted and contains a single power supply.
The motherboard provides fast image processing using three, PCle Gen 3.0 x16 slots that do
not share bus resources.
One of these slots is used for the Ul and the other for image processing GPUs. Please see therecommended slots use in the tables later in this guide to avoid causing a slow down in theperformance of the Ul and image processing GPU cards..

Supermicro SuperServer
The Supermicro SuperServer 7048GR-TR is a more powerful configuration suitable forstereoscopic grading, UHD and 4K-DCl video. It can be used as a desktop tower or rackmounted and contains redundant power supplies.
It provides very fast image processing using up to four, double-width, PCle3.0 x16 slots for
greater throughput and flexibility. One of these slots is used for the Ul and the other for image
processing GPUs. Please see the recommended slots use in the tables below to avoid causing
a slow down in the performance of the Ul and image processing GPU cards.
The Supermicro SuperServer is also the certified platform for Linux configurations should you
wish to upgrade in the future. Please refer to the specific BIOS settings for this system, which
you can find later in this guide.

PC Laptops
In the last year or two there have been an increasing number of systems with the new GPUs
that are suitable for use with DaVinci Resolve. So while performance varies greatly, mostmodern AMD, Intel and NVIDIA GPUs that support OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 3.0 compute capability
will operate with Resolve.
When selecting a system for operational ease you should order a laptop with sufficient screen
resolution to clearly show the full UI, such as 1920x1080, and at least 16GB of system RAM.
512GB or more of SSD system disk is also recommended, as is a fast connection for yourmedia storage.
While performance for many applications and UHD resolution will be limited the Dell Precision
M6800 and the HP Book are examples of a laptop for Resolve field use.

16

Hardware Selection and Setup

The ASUS X99 Deluxe motherboard specification includes 2 x PCle Gen3.0x16 slots, three x8
slots and a single PCIe Gen2.0x4 (which should not be used). For maximum overall slot
bandwidth with Resolve please use the 40 lane CPU and the slots in the following
configuration. Slot 1 for GPU, Slot 3 for DeckLink card and slot 5 for RAID controller for external
storage. If you use any of the other slots this will reduce the speed of the x16 slots and affectyour operational performance.

The specific motherboard or computer you select for your Windows system may in its standard
jumper configuration set to use internal graphics and the BIOS set for just one GPU. If this is thecase you may need to reconfigure the hardware and BIOS prior to installing the OS.
While there are too many variables to list for all motherboards the information provided here for
the Supermicro SuperServer may offer the advise you need to configure your system before
installing the Windows (or Linux) OS.
If in doubt we recommend that you check with your system vendor.

Supermicro X10DRG-Q Motherboard jumpers and BIOS
Follow the instructions below to set-up the display jumper to disable the onboard VGA.
1

To change the JPG1 jumper setting on the motherboard to disable the onboard
VGA graphics locate the JPG1 group of 3 pins that is near the PCI-E slot 2 on themotherboard.

2

Remove the jumper from pins 1 and 2 and install it over pins 2 and 3

3

Unplug all hard disks except the one where you want to install the OS and Resolve.

4Power up the machine. Press ‘Delete’ when the Supermicro logo appears on the screen
in order to go into BIOS.

5

You will see the main BIOS page shown below. Set the date and time correctly foreach server.

17

Hardware Selection and Setup

Windows hardware, BIOS and OS configuration

Use the right arrow key to go to the Advanced page shown below.

7

Now arrow down to select the PCIe/PCI/PNP Configuration page and hit ‘Enter’.

8

In the new screen, arrow down to the CPU1 section. You will notice these all currently
will indicate ‘Legacy’. We are going to leave slot 2 for the UI GPU and step to slot 4.

18

Hardware Selection and Setup

6With the slot 4 line selected hit ‘Enter’ and then using the arrows or -/+ keys selectdisable and then ‘Enter’ to go back to the list.

19

Hardware Selection and Setup

9

10 Repeat step 8 and 9 for the other PCI-E slots. They all should be disabled with the
exception of the UI slot 2.
11 Then up arrow to select the item ‘Above 4G Decoding’ and hit ‘Enter’.

12 Change this selection to ‘Enabled’ then ‘Enter’.

20

Hardware Selection and Setup

13 Double check your configuration is as per below and then select ‘Esc’ tomove up one screen.

14 Your now back at the screen we had in step 7. Arrow down and select‘Intel Thunderbolt’.

15 Then arrow down to ‘Intel Thunderbolt Technology’.

21

Hardware Selection and Setup

16 ‘Enter then select ‘Disabled’ and ‘Enter’ again to complete this step.

17 After disabling you should see this screen below. Then select ‘Esc’ to move up a menu.

18 On the home stretch now. Arrow to the right to select Save & Exit and ‘Enter’.

22

Hardware Selection and Setup

19 Down arrow and ‘Select’ Save Changes and Reset. Then confirm ‘Yes’.

This completes the jumper and bios setup and will reboot the computer.

Power settings
DaVinci Resolve is a demanding application and it is important to first ensure your Windows
workstation is configured to avoid going in to sleep mode or hibernation.
1

From the Control Panel select on Power Options.

2

Under “Select a power plan”, select “Show additional plans” and then “High
Performance”.

3

Select “Change plan settings” and ensure the computer is set to “Never” sleep.

4

Then select “Change advanced power settings” and ensure all the “Sleep” settings are
set to “Never” or “Off”.

5

Select “Apply”, “OK”, “Save changes” and close the control panel.

DaVinci Resolve uses a number of third party drivers which you may need to install or update
depending on the DaVinci Resolve and OS version and also the hardware configuration you
are using.
DaVinci Resolve for Windows will use CUDA processing on NVlDlA hardware and OpenCL on
AMD GPUs. Please note that systems running both NVlDlA and AMD hardware simultaneously
is not supported on DaVinci Resolve for Windows systems.
NVIDIA CUDA GPUs
When you install your NVIDIA GPU you will need to download and install the NVIDIA driver forthat specific GPU. Usually it’s the latest driver for the most powerful GPU in your system that’s
required. If the message“, WARNING: No CUDA Acceleration Hardware Detected,“ appears
when you launch Resolve and your workstation contains the recommended NVIDIA GPUs, youwill need to quit Resolve and update to the recommended NVIDIA driver.
AMD GPUs
AMD provides a driver installer that you can use to automatically install and configure theappropriate drivers for your AMD GPU. You can download this installer fromhttp://support.amd.com/en-us/download.

Installing DaVinci Resolve for Windows
Installing or updating Resolve is essentially the same process. You will need an Administrator
password to install the software on your system if you are using a standard User account. We
recommend that DaVinci Resolve be installed into the default Program Files folder on yourstartup hard disk.
Using the installer that was downloaded from the BMD web site, double click the ‘DaVinci
Resolve Executable’ and follow the onscreen prompts to install the software.
The installation process takes just a couple of minutes. When the installation has been
completed, you will be prompted to restart your workstation. The installer will add theapplication to the Program Files folder and will place a shortcut on your Desktop making it easy
to launch DaVinci Resolve.

23

Hardware Selection and Setup

AMD, NVIDIA and CUDA drivers for Windows

Systems with a Blackmagic Design capture and playback card for your client, edit or grading
monitor you will need to install the latest Desktop Video drivers that are available from the
support page at www.blackmagicdesign.com.
If you use Avid Media Composer or Adobe Premiere Pro on the same computer as Resolve, andyou wish to use these applications with a DeckLink or UltraStudio, install the latest Desktop Videodrivers after installing your alternative editing applications. Blackmagic Desktop Video drivers
install associated easy setup options and presets for a number of other editing applications.
Important steps for first use
There are three important hardware items to configure when you first start the Resolve application.
1

Open the Preferences window from the DaVinci Resolve application menu.
The first tab shows the System Overview where you select the application language
and you can verify that Resolve has found your GPUs and any Red Rocket cards if
installed.

2

Go to the second tab, Media Storage. The first location in the storage list will become
the primary location for images, all proxies, cached files and gallery stills. Thislocation will usually not be your system disk but a specifically installed permanent
disk for media. Often it’s an internal or external RAID disk array and it needs plenty ofstorage capacity.
If you don’t have a permanently connected media array on your system we recommendthat you identify a folder on your system disk to use as your primary drive and folder
and then add and remove other drives as needed but don’t change the primary drive
until you have considered how to back up and restore your stills.
Click on the “+” (add) button to add a volume, folder or mount point to the list of disk
storage for your media. Click on the “-” (remove) button to remove a volume, folder or
mount point from the list of disk storage.

3

In the Video I/O and GPU tab select which capture and playback device you will
use for capture and playback. Depending on your workflow, this device may also beconnected to a VTR or camera. If you are using Resolve Live, select the video input
capture device.
This tab also has selections for using a Red Rocket card if available, or use the GPU for
RED image debayer. You can also select to use the Display GPU for image compute if
you have DaVinci Resolve Studio and also select here if you wish to use the computer
system audio output in preference to the capture and playback card.

4

In the Control Panels tab choose which color grading control panel hardware you haveconnected to your system. DaVinci Resolve supports the range of DaVinci Resolve
control panels but can also be used with third party panels from Avid, JLCooper,
Oxygen Tec and Tangent Devices. Details on connection follow later in this guide.
The Advanced tab is generally not required by most facilities as it’s for specific system
configurations. You should leave this blank unless directed otherwise.

5

After changing any of these preferences select save and restart the DaVinci Resolve
application.

24

Hardware Selection and Setup

For the full version of DaVinci Resolve, you will need to activate your license online or use a
USB dongle which the Resolve for Windows license and must be connected to your computer
before launching the Resolve software.

DaVinci Resolve for Linux
Overview and system selection
We recommend Mac or Windows systems for their ease of configuration and use, their simple
files systems and off the shelf components that generally plug and play. In comparison, Linuxsystems have a very rudimentary operator desktop, have the most restrictive hardware options,require exacting configuration and also a high performance file system.
The Linux OS does however offer an extremely reliable and powerful platform for facilities thatconsistently need high performance with high-resolution files from various codecs and istherefore the system of choice for the largest facilities in Hollywood and beyond.
There are hardware configurations detailed below starting from a single dedicated GPU for
image processing up to eight GPUs in one system and when configured with the more powerfulGPUs this system is suitable for stereoscopic grading and 8K video.
All systems support the use of a PCIe expander to add extra PCIe slots and power. However
additional PCIe cards in the computer, such as capture, storage or even an expander HBA,
should only be added to the slots shown in the tables below to avoid causing a slow down in
the performance of the Ul and image processing GPU cards.
For all systems using an expander, we generally recommend that you install a single Ul GPU inyour computer and have all image processing GPUs in the expander. While this guide refers to
configs with up to six GPUs, there are now third party systems available with more image
processing GPUs and for users interested in those configs please contact the vendor directly.
You will also find below a list of suppliers who can offer turnkey systems of various performancelevels and prices.
Please note that you cannot mix GPUs from the major suppliers, AMD and NVIDIA in the one
system. We recommend using the same model GPU if multiples are used. A number of GPU
options are listed below, as are options for media storage, file system and accessories.
Typical configuration
DVI
USB
HD-SDI
PCI-E Extender
Storage Connection
Audio
Electrical PowerRESOLVE COMPUTER
SPEAKERS

PCIe EXPANSIONGUI MONITOR

MEDIA STORAGERESOLVE CONTROL SURFACEGRADING MONITOR

Hardware Selection and Setup

25

The Supermicro SuperServer 7048GR-TR is a powerful configuration suitable for stereoscopic
grading, UHD and 4K-DCl video. It can be used as a desktop tower or rack-mounted andcontains redundant power supplies.
It provides very fast image processing using up to four, double-width, PCle3.0 x16 slots for
greater throughput and flexibility. One of these slots is used for the Ul and the other for image
processing GPUs. Please see the recommended slots use in the tables below to avoid causing
a slow down in the performance of the Ul and image processing GPU cards.

For the recommended Supermicro systems, check the jumper configuration and BIOS as
indicated in the Windows section above called “Windows hardware, BIOS & OS configuration”.

HP Z840
A number of DaVinci Resolve facilities as it provides and simple workhorse for previewing andgrading material up to and including 4K. As this system has dual CPUs it is suitable fordecompressing hi-res files, such as 4K, 5K and 6K camera RAW.
Configuration details are not specified in this guide however your computer supplier should be
able to assist in setting the BIOS and guiding you on storage connection.

Installing LinuxYou can install DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci Resolve Studio for Linux on your own system that
has CentOS or RHEL 6.8 and 7.3.
DaVinci Resolve for Linux and DaVinci Resolve Studio for Linux are available from theBlackmagic Design support web site. https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/family/
davinci-resolve-and-fusion.
Storage subsystem connection and file system installation
If you now connect your media storage, via direct RAID controller, fibre channel or bonded
GigE, the next step is to install the StorNext file system. Alternatively you can proceed to the
DaVinci Resolve Configuration Generator section below.

26

Hardware Selection and Setup

Supermicro SuperServerIn a DAS configuration, Resolve hosts the server and client for StorNext. Your StorNext installeror IT engineer can open a shell and run the StorNext installation following the guidelines set by
Quantum. You will also need to enter the StorNext license that is obtained from Quantum.
In a SAN configuration, Resolve is a client and the metadata controller (MDC) holds the license
information. You StorNext installer will configure Resolve with the IP address of the MDC.
Quantum also offers a complete turnkey file system including the MDC and storage should you
desire this one stop solution for installation and support.

Installing DaVinci Resolve for Linux
Installing or updating Resolve is essentially the same process.
Double-click the ‘Home’ icon on the desktop and, in the resulting window, open the ‘Resolve’
folder to reveal the ‘Releases’ folder. Any future version updates to the Resolve application
should be put into the ‘Releases’ folder to make installation easy.

Installation instructions for DaVinci Resolve and DaVinci Resolve Studio software (for the legacy
Resolve DVD environment, skip to the next section)
1

Download DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_14.x_Linux.zip (if you have a DaVinci Resolve
license dongle) or DaVinci_Resolve_14.x_Linux.zip from the Blackmagic
Design website.

2

Open a Terminal shell3

You need to now become the root user. Type:su When prompted, please enter your ‘root’ user’s password.

4

Navigate to the folder where you downloaded the DaVinci Resolve software. Type:
cd /path/to/downloaded/software/location

27

Hardware Selection and Setup

Please consult with your local Quantum StorNext distributor and/or your storage subsystemvendor for installation and configuration guidance. We have certified StorNext version 4.7, 4.3
and legacy 3.5.2 systems with Resolve. We have not fully tested StorNext 6.x but to date all
tests are ok.

5Unzip the downloaded file. Type:28

orunzip DaVinci_Resolve_14.x_Linux.zip
6

Run the DaVinci Resolve or DaVinci Resolve Studio installer
sh DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_14.x_Linux.shorsh DaVinci_Resolve_14.0b4_Linux.sh

On legacy DaVinci Resolve Linux installations with the DVD environment, Resolve can beinstalled by following the instructions provided below.
1

Download DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_14.x_Linux.zip file.

2

Double click the zip file to open it and drag DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_14.x_Linux.sh to the/home/resolve/Releases/ folder

3

Double-click the installer to install the release from the File Browser

When the installation has been completed, you may wish to restart the server but it’s not
required. It’s easy to launch the app from the DaVinci Resolve menu or the Desktop Icon.
Systems with a Blackmagic Design capture and playback card for your client, edit or grading
monitor you will need to install the latest Desktop Video drivers that are available from the
support page at www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Final setup checks
Once the application installation is complete, please reboot the server. Testing can be
performed at this stage, prior to installing the StorNext file system if you have not completed
that yet.

Hardware Selection and Setup

unzip DaVinci_Resolve_Studio_14.x_Linux.zip

Mac systems
Blackmagic Design items for Mac
DaVinci Resolve Studio for Mac Application
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com
DaVinci Resolve Control Panels
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Blackmagic Design Capture and Playback Card UltraStudio 4K Extreme 3
 UltraStudio 4K
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/
Please refer to the Blackmagic Design web site for feature set details.

NOTE: HD-SDI I/O and HDMI output is supported by DaVinci Resolve

Alternatives with a different feature set
 UltraStudio Express Mini Monitor
 Mini Recorder
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/

Apple Hardware
Apple MacPro
Late 2013 model, 12 Core Dual D700 GPU
2.7GHz Intel Xeon E5 12 Core processor
32GB system RAM recommended
1TB PCIe-based internal flash storage
Dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs
http://www.apple.com/mac/

Alternatives with a different feature set
Apple iMac with Retina Display
Mid 2017 27”Retina 5K model, quad-core i7
4.2GHz Intel Core i7 processor
32GB system RAM recommended

29

Shopping Guide

Shopping Guide

1TB Internal SSD storage30

http://www.apple.com/imac
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Mid 2017 15” model, quad-core i7
3.1GHz Intel Core i7 processor
16GB system RAM
512GB PCIe-based SSD
Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB VRAM
http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
End 2016 15”model, quad-core i7
2.6GHz Intel Core i7 processor
16GB system RAM recommended
512GB PCIe internal flash storage
Radeon 450 with 2GB VRAM
http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Early 2015 13”model, dual-core i5
2.9GHz Intel Core i5 processor
16GB system RAM recommended
512GB PCIe internal flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics 6100
http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro
Apple MacBook
Limited performance for more than HD ProRes
Mid 2107 12”, dual-core i5
1.3GHz Intel Core i5 processor
8GB system RAM
512GB PCIe internal SSD storage
Intel HD Graphics 615
http://www.apple.com/macbook/Apple Mac Mini
Optional Central Database Server
Late 2014 model, dual-core i7
3.0GHz Intel Core i7 processor
16GB system RAM
512GB PCIe internal flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics 5100
http://www.apple.com/macmini/

Shopping Guide

Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB of VRAM

AppleLG Ultrafine 27” 5K Display
http://www.apple.com
Dell
Dell UltraSharp 27” Ultra HD 5K monitor
http://www.dell.com/ae/business/p/dell-up2715k-monitor/pd

Windows systems
Blackmagic Design items for Windows
DaVinci Resolve Studio for Windows application
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com
DaVinci Resolve Control Panels
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Blackmagic Design Capture and Playback Card
DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G
with optional DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G - Quad SDI
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/
Please refer to the Blackmagic Design web site for feature set details

NOTE: HD-SDI I/O and HDMI output is supported by DaVinci Resolve

Alternatives with a different feature set
 DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G
 DeckLink Studio 4K
 Mini Monitor
 Mini Recorder
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/

Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows 10 Professional – Creators update
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features

31

Shopping Guide

UI monitor options

ASUS Motherboard
ASUS X99 Deluxe
lntel Socket 2011-v3 Core i7
16GB (4 x 4GB RAM) DDR4-3200 SDRAM
https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/X99DELUXE/
Generic Chassis
Generic ATX chassis such as Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced
http://www.coolermaster.com/case/full-tower/haf-932-advanced/
Power Supply
1000W or greater ATX PSU such as Corsair Professional Series HX1050 Power Supply
http://www.corsair.com/en/hx-series-hx1050-power-supply-1050-watt-80-plus-gold-certifiedmodular-psu
Other Components
512GB SSD or SATA 7200 1TB system hard drive
DVD-RW drive, SATA, Black

Workstations
HP Z840
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2697 v3 (dual 14 core) (Dual 8 core is minimum recommended)
32GB RAM (8x4GB memory sticks) or higher
Use pairs of 4 for maximum memory bandwidth
SATA 7200 1TB system hard drive
1 x DVD-RW drive, SATA, Black
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/workstations/z840.html
Supermicro SuperServer 7048GR-TR
Black 4RU Rackmountable/Tower
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2698 v4 (dual 20 core; dual 12 core is minimum recommended)
32GB (8x4GB memory sticks) or more ECC DDR4-2400 SDRAM
Use the same size RAM in all eight slots for maximum RAM access speed
lntel SSD530 480GB SSD SATA system drive or larger
DVD-RW drive, SATA, Black
http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/4u/7048/sys-7048gr-tr.cfm

32

Shopping Guide

Generic PC

Dell Precision 7720
Intel Core™ i5 or i7 processors
32GB minimum system RAM
NVIDIA Quadro P4000; 8GB GDDR5 GPU
512GB SSD minimum system hard drive
http://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/productdetails/precision-17-7720-laptop
HP ZBook 17 G4 Customised Mobile
Workstation
intel Core i7 processor
16GB minimum system RAM
Quadro P5000 with Dreamcolor display
1TB System drive
http://store.hp.com/us/en/ConfigureView?catalogld=10051&urlLangId=&langId=-1&storeId=10151&catEntryId=1661652&quqntity=1

Linux systems
Blackmagic Design items for Linux
DaVinci Resolve Studio for Linux Application
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com
DaVinci Resolve Control Panels
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
Blackmagic Design Capture and Playback Card
DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G
with optional DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G - Quad SDI
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/
Please refer to the Blackmagic Design web site for feature set details

NOTE: HD-SDI I/O and HDMI output is supported by DaVinci Resolve

Alternatives with a different feature set
DeckLink 4K Extreme
 DeckLink Studio 4K
 Mini Monitor
 Mini Recorder
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/

33

Shopping Guide

Laptops

Supermicro SuperServer 7048GR-TR
Black 4RU Rackmountable/Tower
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2698 v4 (dual 20 core; dual 12 core is minimum recommended)
32GB (8x4GB memory sticks) or more ECC DDR4-2400 SDRAM
Use the same size RAM in all eight slots for maximum RAM access speed
lntel SSD530 480GB SSD SATA system drive or larger
DVD-RW drive, SATA, Black
http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/4u/7048/sys-7048gr-tr.cfm

Alternative with a different feature set
HP Z840
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2697 v3 (dual 14 core) (Dual 12 core is minimum recommended)
32GB RAM (8x4GB memory sticks) or higher
Use pairs of 4 for maximum memory bandwidth
SATA 7200 1TB system hard drive
1 x DVD-RW drive, SATA, Black
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/workstations/z840.html

Media storage
Thunderbolt storage
Multiple alternative options shown
G-Technology G Speed Studio XL
http://www.g-technology.com/products/g-speed-studio-xl
G-Technology G RAID with Thunderbolt
http://www.g-technology.com/products/g-raid-thunderbolt-2
PROMISE Pegasus2 R8, 8 Bay RAID
http://www.promise.com/Products/Pegasus/Pegasus2/R8
PROMISE Pegasus2 R6, 6 Bay RAID
http://www.promise.com/Products/Pegasus/Pegasus2/R6
PROMISE Pegasus2 R2+
http://www.promise.com/Products/Pegasus/Pegasus2/R2plus
CalDigit T4 RAID
http://www.caldigit.com/T4/
CalDigit T3 RAID
http://www.caldigit.com/T3/

34

Shopping Guide

Linux workstations

Accusys A12T3-Share35

Accusys A16T2-Share
http://www.accusys.com.tw/T-Share/
Lacie 5big Thunderbolt 2
http://www.lacie.com/as/en/products/thunderbolt/5big-thunderbolt-2/
Lacie 8big Rack Thunderbolt 2
http://www.lacie.com/as/en/products/thunderbolt-rackmount/
OWC Thunderbay 4 Mini
https://www.owcdigital.com/products/thunderbay-4-mini
OWC Thunderbay 4
https://www.owcdigital.com/products/thunderbay-4

PCIe attached storage
Multiple alternative options shown
Accusys A08S4-PS, 8 Bay RAID
http://www.accusys.com.tw/ExaSAN/A08S4-PS/
Accusys A16S3-PS, 16 Bay RAID
http://www.accusys.com.tw/ExaSAN/A16S3-PS/
Accusys SWF16, PCIe Switch
http://www.accusys.com.tw/ExaSAN/SWF16-V2/
Facilis Technology TerraBlock
http://www.facilis.com/shared-storage-products/

Ethernet attached storage
Multiple alternative options shown
EditShare XStream EFS Scale-out Storage
http://www.editshare.com/products/xstream-efs
Ardis Technologies DynamicDrivePool (DDP)
http://www.dynamicdrivepool.com
Isilon Scale-out NAS
https://www.emc.com/en-us/storage/isilon/index.htm
Archion Omni
https://www.archion.com/products/editstor-omni

Shopping Guide

http://www.accusys.com.tw/T-Share/

Quantum StorNext 6.x
http://www.quantum.com/products/software/stornext/index.aspx

HBA for Fiber Channel SAN external storage
ATTO 16Gbps Dual Channel PCIe Fiber Channel HBA
Model: CTFC-162E-000
http://www.attotech.com/products/product.php?cat=1&scat=33&prod=108&sku=CTFC-162E-000
ATTO 16Gbps Single Channel PCIe Fiber Channel HBA
Model: CTFC-162E-000
http://www.attotech.com/products/product.php?cat=1&scat=33&prod=109&sku=CTFC-161E-000

Fibre channel attached storage
Multiple alternative options shown
Dot Hill
Assured SAN 4000
http://www.dothill.com/storage-arrays/assuredsan-4000-san-storage/
Scale Logic Genesis
Unlimited SAN Appliance
http://www.scalelogicinc.com/html/genesis-unlimited-san-appliance.php
Scale Logic also offer OS agnostic SAN file system.
Please contact them for details.
http://scalelogicinc.com/html/hyperfs-file-system.php
Facilis Technology TerraBlock
http://www.facilis.com/shared-storage-products/
Quantum Scale-out Storage
http://www.quantum.com/products/scale-out-storage/index.aspx

GPU selection
DaVinci Resolve performs all image processing in the GPU so selection is important based on
the clip type, resolution of the clips and timeline, the processes selected within Resolve and ofcourse final render resolution. Even the debayer of Camera RAW media is performed in the
GPU so any 4K, 6K or 8K camera RAW files need a large amount of GPU RAM and compute
power even if you are using just an HD timeline.
Some of the image processing operations in DaVinci Resolve, temporal noise reduction, opticalflow speed changes, motion effects and OpenFX plugins, also need large GPU memory for
operation and utilize a single GPU regardless of the number installed. These processes might
not be available or operation could be restricted on GPUs with limited memory so consider thiswhen selecting your GPU from the options below.

36

Shopping Guide

Storage file system

When selecting GPUs, they all need to be from the same supplier, either NVIDIA or AMD.
For multiple GPU configurations, you should use the same model GPU for all processing GPUs.

NVIDIA options
Multiple alternative options are shown in no particular order
NVIDIA Quadro GP100
16GB HBM2 RAM
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro.html
NVIDIA Quadro P6000
24GB GDDR5 SDRAM
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro-desktop-gpus.html
NVIDIA Quadro P5000
16GB GDDR5 SDRAM
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro-desktop-gpus.html
NVIDIA TITAN Xp
12GB GDDR5X SDRAM
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/products/10series/titan-xp/
NVIDIA TITAN X
12GB GDDR5 SDRAM
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/products/10series/titan-x-pascal/
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080ti
11GB GDDR5 SDRAM
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/products/10series/geforce-gtx-1080-ti/
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
8GB GDDR5 SDRAM
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/products/10series/geforce-gtx-1080/

AMD GPUs
AMD Firepro W9100
16GB GDDR5 SDRAM
http://www.amd.com/en-us/products/graphics/workstation/firepro-3d/9100
AMD Radeon Pro Duo
2x16GB GDDR5 SDRAM
http://www.amd.com/en-us/products/graphics/desktop/radeon-pro-duo

37

Shopping Guide

For processing UHD or 4K-DCI images we recommend 8GB or more of GPU memory (RAM).
For some operations 4GB will be sufficient. 2GB is not recommended.

AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100

38

http://www.amd.com/en-us/products/graphics/workstation/firepro-3d/wx7100
AMD R9 Series 295X
8GB GDDR5 SDRAM
http://www.amd.com/en-us/products/graphics/desktop/r9
AMD R9 Series 390
6GB GDDR5 SDRAM
http://www.amd.com/en-us/products/graphics/desktop/r9
AMD RX580
2-8GB GDDR5 SDRAM
http://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/radeon-rx-580

ExpandersWindows and Linux desktop or rack mount computers offer connection to an external expander
chassis via its PCle motherboard connector. This permits extra GPUs to be installed for use by
the unique processing controller in DaVinci Resolve Studio. While there are a number of
expanders available in the market only a few have been tested and certified for use with
DaVinci Resolve.
The new Thunderbolt 3 expanders can be used for GPU, a fibre channel adapter, storage
interface or raid controller or a Red Rocket or Rocket X card.
If you use one of the chassis recommended in the Windows or Linux sections you must install
the expander HBA in the PCIe slot indicated and then your image processing GPUs in the
expander as indicated. The UI GPU should remain in the main computer, as should the
DeckLink and a RAID controller if installed.

NOTE: There are multiple PCIe expander options listed below. Not all offer Gen 3.0
x16 speed to every slot and the power supply limits on some expanders make themsuitable for only one or two GPUs especially if a RED Rocket card is also installed.

PCIe expansion chassis options
Multiple alternative options are shown in no particular order
CUBIX GPU-Xpander Desktop Elite
Model: XPDT-G3-ELDHE5 (Hi-flow exhaust)
http://www.cubixgpu.com/xpander-desktop
CUBIX GPU-Xpander Rackmount Elite
Model: XPRM-G3-ELRHE
http://www.cubixgpu.com/xpander-rackmount-elite

Shopping Guide

16GB GDDR5 SDRAM

CUBIX GPU-Xpander Rackmount 8

39

http://www.cubix.com/xpander-rackmount
Cyclone PCIe2-2707 (five slot)
www.cyclone.com/products/expansion_systems/600-2707.php

Thunderbolt expanders
Multiple alternative options are shown in no particular order
Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box
Thunderbolt 3 to eGPU PCIe Expansion
http://www.sonnettech.com/product/thunderbolt/index.html
Magma ExpressBox 3T
http://www.magma.com/expressbox-3t
Magma ExpressBox 1T
http://www.magma.com/expressbox-1t

Accessories
Logic keyboard Apple DaVinci Resolve
Model: LKBU-RESOLVE-AM89-US
http://www.logickeyboard.com/shop/apple-davinci-resolve-2952p.html
EditorsKeys Backlite Keyboard
http://www.editorskeys.com/davinci-resolve-backlit-keyboard/
Optional USB 2.0 Extender
Model: ICRON USB 2.0 Ranger 2204
http://www.icron.com/products/icron-brand/usb-extenders/cat5/usb-2-0-ranger-2204
Model: ICRON USB RG2304GE-LAN
http://www.icron.com/products/oem/usb-extenders/lan/usb-2-0-rg2304ge-lan/

Third party panels
DaVinci Resolve for Mac and Windows supports five third party control panels. Please refer tothe instructions from the panel vendor and review with the directions below to configure thepanel to work with DaVinci Resolve.

Configuring Davinci Resolve for third party panels
After first starting the Resolve application, open the Hardware Setup tab by selecting‘Preferences’ from the DaVinci Resolve application. In the Hardware settings window, select theControl Panel tab and select the control panel you have connected to your computer. Save theupdated preferences and restart the DaVinci Resolve application.

Shopping Guide

Model: XPRM-G3-82A

The Tangent Devices Element Bundle is a set of four USB panels that connect to your computer
via a 4-port USB 2.0 hub. You will need to download and install the ‘Tangent Hub support pack’
to use the panels with DaVinci Resolve. Once the Tangent Hub is installed, plug the panels into
your computer ac and select in Resolve. The Tangent Hub installer can be downloaded fromhttp://www.tangentdevices.co.uk/support.asp
If using a JLCooper Eclipse CX, follow the Eclipse CX documentation to connect and configure itwith an Ethernet port on your computer. Then launch Resolve, use the Preferences to select the
Eclipse CX panel and click “Save.” If you have changed the IP address or port from the default
panel settings, enter the IP address and port number for your panel and then click “Save.” Restartthe DaVinci Resolve application and you will see the panel menus as soon as the application starts.
The Avid Artist Color panels installation is generally quite straight forward. If your computer isconnected to a network with a DHCP server, just connect an Ethernet cable from the panel tothe same network switch. Install the EUcontrol application that comes with the panel, or
download it from the Avid support site. Launch the application and you will notice the E icon
towards the right side of the top menu bar. When the icon is solid, the panel is communicatingwith the EUcontrol application and, once selected in the DaVinci Resolve preferences, thepanel will display Resolve menus at the next restart of the Resolve application. If you are notusing a DHCP server, refer to the Avid Artist Color installation instructions for setting the IP aaddress of the panel and computer. It should take just 30 seconds to set.

Third party panel options
Multiple alternative options are shown in no particular order
Avid Artist Color
http://www.avid.com/products/Artist-Color
JLCooper’s Eclipse CX
http://www.jlcooper.com/_php/product.php?prod=eclipsecxm
OxygenTec ProPanel
http://www.cgangs.com/oxygen-tool/propanel/
Tangent Devices Element Bundle
http://www.tangentwave.co.uk/product/element/
Tangent Devices WAVE
http://www.tangentwave.co.uk/product/wave/
Tangent Devices Ripple
http://www.tangentwave.co.uk/product/ripple/

40

Shopping Guide

The OxygenTec ProPanel and the Tangent Devices WAVE control panel are USB devices andrequire no special configuration for use with DaVinci Resolve. Just plug it in to your computerand select in Resolve.

ASUS PCIe configuration
ASUS X99 Deluxe with single GPU
Slot

Board

Function

1

UI and Image Processing GPU

UI Monitor

1a

Do not use this slot

2

Do not use this slot

3

DeckLink Capture Card4

Do not use this slot

5

Optional RAID/Storage controller

Video and Audio Monitoring

For External Media Storage

Note: Motherboard slot 1 is closest to the CPU

ASUS X99 Deluxe with PCIe expander for multiple GPUs
Slot

Board

Function

1

UI and Image Processing GPU

UI Monitor

1a

Do not use this slot

2

Do not use this slot

3

PCIe Expander HBA

4

Do not use this slot

5

DeckLink Capture Card

To PCIe ExpanderVideo and Audio Monitoring

Note: Motherboard slot 1 is closest to the CPU. PCIe Expander options shown below.

41

Windows and Linux Systems: PCIe Slot Configurations

Windows and Linux Systems:
PCIe Slot Configurations

HP PCIe configuration
HP Z840 with single or dual GPU
Slot

Board

Function

1

–

–

2

UI and Image Processing GPU

UI Monitor

3

Optional RAID/Storage controller

For External Media Storage

4

Optional 2nd GPU

Do not connect5

Blocked

6

DeckLink Capture card

Video and Audio Monitoring

7

DeckLink HDMI/Mezzanine card

HDMI/Quad SDI Monitoring

Note: Motherboard slot 1 is closest to the CPU. In this configuration a single width UI GPU is required

HP Z840 with PCIe expander for multiple GPUs
Slot

Board

Function

1

–

–

2

UI and Image Processing GPU

UI Monitor

3

Optional RAID/Storage controller

For External Media Storage

4

PCIe Expander HBA

To PCIe Expander

5

Do not use this slot

6

DeckLink Capture card

Video and Audio Monitoring

7

DeckLink HDMI/Mezzanine card

HDMI/Quad SDI Monitoring

Note: Motherboard slot 1 is closest to the CPU. In this configuration a single width UI GPU is required.
PCIe Expander options shown below

Windows and Linux Systems: PCIe Slot Configurations

42

Supermicro PCIe configuration
Supermicro SuperServer 7048GR-TR with single or dual or rriple GPUs
Slot

Board

Function

1

–

–

2

UI and Image Processing GPU

UI Monitor

3

–

–

4

Optional 2nd GPU

Do not connect

5

–

–

6

Optional 3rd GPU

Do not connect

7

DeckLink HDMI/Mezzanine card

HDMI/Quad SDI Monitoring

8

DeckLink Capture card

Video and Audio Monitoring

9

–

–

10

Optional RAID/Storage controller

For External Media Storage

11

–

–

Note: Motherboard slot 11 is closest to the CPU. An optional Red Rocket X card should be installed in slot 4

Supermicro SuperServer 7048GR-TR with expander for multiple GPUs
Slot

Board

Function

1

–

–

2

UI and Image Processing GPU

UI Monitor

3

–

–

4

PCle Expander HBA

To PCIe Expander

5

–

–

6

PCle Expander HBA

To PCIe Expander

7

DeckLink HDMI/Mezzanine card

HDMI/Quad SDI Monitoring

8

DeckLink Capture card

Video and Audio Monitoring

9

–

–

10

Optional RAID/Storage controller

For External Media Storage

11

–

–

Note: Motherboard slot 11 is closest to CPU. PCle Expander options shown below

Windows and Linux Systems: PCIe Slot Configurations

43

PCIe expanders: Slot configurations

44

CUBIX GPU-Xpander Desktop Elite
Computer Connection

PCIe HBA

Slot

Board

1

Image Processing GPU

2Image Processing GPU

3Image Processing GPU

4Image Processing GPU

Slot

Board

CUBIX GPU-Xpander Rackmount Elite
Computer Connection

PCIe HBA

1

Spare x8 Slot

2

Spare x8 Slot

3

Image Processing GPU

4Image Processing GPU

5Image Processing GPU

6Image Processing GPU

Slot

Board

CUBIX GPU-Xpander Rackmount 8
Computer Connection

PCIe HBA

PCIe HBA

1

Image Processing GPU

2Image Processing GPU

3Image Processing GPU

4Image Processing GPU

5Image Processing GPU

6Image Processing GPU

7Image Processing GPU

8Image Processing GPU

Slot

Board

Cyclone PCIe2-2707
Computer Connection

PCIe HBA

1

Image Processing GPU

2Image Processing GPU

3Image Processing GPU

4

Spare x8 Slot

5

Spare x8 SlotWindows and Linux Systems: PCIe Slot Configurations

Multiple alternatives shown in no particular orderPanel Information
Davinci Resolve Micro Panel dimensions and weights

Micro PanelY LIFTY GAMMA

HeightWidth

LengthWeight75mm(2.95in)

427.5mm(16.83in)

258mm(10.15in)

3.5kg(7.71lb)

Y GAINCONTRAST

PIVOT

MID DETAIL

LOG

ALL

OFFSET

COLOR BOOSTSHADOWS

VIEWERHIGHLIGHTS

ALL

LEV
EL

B
RG

B
RG

SATURATION

LEV
EL

HUE

LUM MIX

GRAB
STILL

UNDO

PLAY
STILL

PREV
MEM

LOOP

BYPASS

REDO

RESET

427.5mm [16.83in]

ALL

LEV
EL

B
RG

DISABLE

PREV
NODE

NEXT
NODE

PREV
FRAME

NEXT
FRAME

PREV
CLIP

NEXT
CLIP







258mm [10.15in]

75mm [2.95in]

Davinci Resolve Mini Panel dimensions and weights

Overall
Mini Panel

HeightWidth

LengthWeight142mm(5.59in)

430mm(16.92in)

388mm(15.27in)

6.4kg(14.1lb)

Davinci Resolve Mini Panel mounting dimensions

Mounting
Dimensions

Centre to centre

DriverThread248mm(9.76in)

3mm Hex Head
(0.11in)14”-20

1

HOME





SERIALRAW

PRIMARY

MOTIONNODE +
LINEARCURVESQUALIFIER

4

WINDOW

COPY

TRACKER

BLUR

KEYER

PREV
STILL

SIZING

FX

USER

PREV
KF

Y GAMMAY GAINALL

B
RG

CONTRAST

PIVOT

LOG

MID DETAILOFFSET

COLOR BOOSTSHADOWS

VIEWERLEVE
L

HIGHLIGHTS

ALL

B
RG

ALL

B
RG

2

PARALLEL

PASTE

10

NEXT
STILL

13

NEXT
KF

SATURATION

LEVE
L

LAYER

5

3

6

NODE +
CIRCLE

APPEND8FULL
VIEWER

11

9

12

HIGHLIGHT

14

REF

15

HUE

LUM MIX

GRAB
STILL

UNDO

PLAY
STILL

PREV
MEM

LOOP

BYPASS

REDO

RESET

LEVE
L
DISABLE

PREV
NODE

NEXT
NODE

PREV
FRAME

NEXT
FRAME

PREV
CLIP

NEXT
CLIP





142mm [5.59in]



430mm [16.92in]

388mm [15.27in]

Y LIFT

7

Panel Information

45

46

Width

Depth

WeightCenter Panel

195.5mm(7.69in)574.1mm(22.60in)

460.7mm(18.14in)

12.2kg(26.9lb)

Left Panel

195.5mm(7.69in)

333.5mm(13.13in)

421.8mm(16.60in)

4.8kg(10.6lb)

Right Panel

195.5mm(7.69in)

333.5mm(13.13in)

421.8mm(16.60in)

4.8kg(10.6lb)

195.5mm [7.69in]

HeightPanel Information

Davinci Resolve Advanced Panel dimensions and weights

1238mm [48.75in]

590.57mm [23.25in]

470mm [18.49in]

373.93mm [14.72in]Regulatory Notices
Disposal of waste of electrical and electronic equipment within the European Union.
The symbol on the product indicates that this equipment must not be disposed of withother waste materials. In order to dispose of your waste equipment, it must be handed
over to a designated collection point for recycling. The separate collection andrecycling of your waste equipment at the time of disposal will help conserve natural
resources and ensure that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and theenvironment. For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment
for recycling, please contact your local city recycling office or the dealer from whom you
purchased the product.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed toprovide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and canradiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of thisproduct in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case theuser will be required to correct the interference at personal expense.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1

This device may not cause harmful interference.

2

This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.

When the PoE is used to supply power, the Ethernet network connection must use
screened Ethernet cables.

Safety Information
This equipment must be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective
earth connection.
To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not expose this equipment to drippingor splashing.
This equipment is suitable for use in tropical locations with an ambient temperature of
up to 40ºC.
Ensure that adequate ventilation is provided around the product and is not restricted.
No operator serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to your local Blackmagic Design
service centre.
Use only at altitudes not more than 2000m above sea level.

47

Regulatory Notices and Safety Information

Regulatory Notices and Safety Information

12 Months Limited Warranty
Blackmagic Design warrants that DaVinci Resolve control surface will be free from defects inmaterials and workmanship for a period of 12 months from the date of purchase. If a product proves
to be defective during this warranty period, Blackmagic Design, at its option, either will repair thedefective product without charge for parts and labor, or will provide a replacement in exchange
for the defective product. Periodical updates to the operational software are not included under
this warranty.
In order to obtain service under this warranty, you the Customer, must notify Blackmagic Designof the defect before the expiration of the warranty period and make suitable arrangements for the
performance of service. The Customer shall be responsible for packaging and shipping thedefective product to a designated service center nominated by Blackmagic Design, with shipping
charges pre paid. Customer shall be responsible for paying all shipping changes, insurance, duties,
taxes, and any other charges for products returned to us for any reason.
This warranty shall not apply to any defect, failure or damage caused by improper use or improperor inadequate maintenance and care. Blackmagic Design shall not be obligated to furnish service
under this warranty: a) to repair damage resulting from attempts by personnel other than Blackmagic
Design representatives to install, repair or service the product, b) to repair damage resulting from
improper use or connection to incompatible equipment, c) to repair any damage or malfunction
caused by the use of non Blackmagic Design parts or supplies, or d) to service a product thathas been modified or integrated with other products when the effect of such a modification or
integration increases the time or difficulty of servicing the product. THIS WARRANTY IS GIVENBY BLACKMAGIC DESIGN IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
BLACKMAGIC DESIGN AND ITS VENDORS DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. BLACKMAGIC DESIGN’SRESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IS THE WHOLE AND
EXCLUSIVE REMEDY PROVIDED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER BLACKMAGIC DESIGN OR THE
VENDOR HAS ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BLACKMAGICDESIGN IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY ILLEGAL USE OF EQUIPMENT BY CUSTOMER. BLACKMAGICIS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM USE OF THIS PRODUCT. USER OPERATESTHIS PRODUCT AT OWN RISK.
© Copyright 2017 Blackmagic Design. All rights reserved. ‘Blackmagic Design’, “DaVinci’, ‘Resolve’, ‘DeckLink’,‘HDLink’, ‘Videohub’, ‘DeckLink’, and ‘Leading the creative video revolution’ are registered trademarks in the US
and other countries. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective companies withwhich they are associated. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S.
and/or other countries.

48

Warranty

Warranty