Pr CS5 - List of supported CUDA Cards

[Curt Wrigley]

Adobe is working on a playback and rendering engine for Adobe Premiere Pro called the Mercury Playback Engine. This new engine is NVIDIA® GPU-accelerated, 64-bit native, and architected for the future. Native 64-bit support enables you to work more fluidly on HD and higher resolution projects, and GPU acceleration speeds effects processing and rendering.

The Mercury Playback Engine offers these benefits:

• Open projects faster, refine effects-rich HD and higher resolution sequences in real time, enjoy smooth scrubbing, and play back complex projects without rendering.
• See results instantly when applying multiple color corrections and effects across many video layers.
• Work in real time on complex timelines and long-form projects with thousands of clips — whether your project is SD, HD, 2K, 4K, or beyond.

Ensure your system is ready to take advantage of the Mercury Playback Engine in a future version of Adobe Premiere Pro. The Mercury Playback Engine works hand-in-hand with NVIDIA® CUDA™ technology to give you amazingly fluid, real-time performance. See it in action

* PR CS5 supports the following list of CUDA cards:

	GeForce GTX 285	Windows and MAC
	Quadro FX 3800	Windows
	Quadro FX 4800	Windows and MAC
	Quadro FX 5800	Windows
	Quadro CX	Windows

More hardware details:

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/systemreqs/

[Guest]

FelixUnderwood wrote:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125280  Under $300 including shipping. Also, it's perfectly legal to run CS5 w/o Hardware MPE. Stop whining. Please.

And it's perfectly legal to shoot with a Flip video camera.  Stop whining.  Please.

[chupacabracobra]

FelixUnderwood wrote:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125280  Under $300 including shipping. Also, it's perfectly legal to run CS5 w/o Hardware MPE. Stop whining. Please.

See now that is the sort of dumb advice he was talking about. Telling someone to sell off a better card for a loss only to go and buy a weaker card.

Why? He can run his 295 just fine.

[Eric Addison]

Wow...has this thread become more interesting...

"..while those subjects make for a respectable profession, many (maybe most) of us don't do that.  And anyway, most for-hire videographers I know have side projects that exercise their creative instincts."

First off, I think most of us do make our living shooting events, doing commericals and/or corporate work, etc. I think the indie filmmakers are the more rare breed here - I could be wrong, but from my time here, that's my own assesment. I'd love it to be different, but at the moment - that's reality. And I'm going to assume that your last bit about "projects that exercise their creative instincts"  doesn't mean that working on commercials, corporate video, and shooting events doesn't involve creativity...because it does. Sometimes just as much if not more then narrative filmmaking.

"... big companies like Adobe should not gouge customers when, again, there is no technical reason to do so."

I don't think they are, and as others have pointed out - if you want a professional tool, you sometimes have to more for it. No one says you have to buy one of the MPE approved cards for PPro to work. I just spent a whole week with my laptop, cutting HD on location without MPE and PPro worked great - couldn't have done the edit with anything else.

"Query:  What is the difference between a GTX 295 and a GTX 285?"

More then you may know. I'm not a tech person, but I know that cards do things differently sometimes and they don't always act the same even though they are very similar. I've got a HP computer with a GeForce 230M card running Windows 7, and my wife who edits as well, has an HP with a GeForce 220. When I try and use Magic Bullet Looks on mine, it works sometimes but not most. On her system - works all the time. I've been working with Red Giant to find out why, but it's most likely a graphics card issue. So, yes - there can be a big difference between the way the 285 and the 295 work. Adobe developed support for the 285 because they deemed it a better match for what PPro needs, as well as it being at a lower price point for those who can't afford the more expensive Quadro cards.

I hardly think Adobe is "gouging" anyone - they want to create the most stable software they can, and the only way to do that is by testing it with a limited number of cards (seeing how they only have limited resources) and making sure it works with those cards the best it can. If you can't see the logic in that, I don't know what else to tell you. As an editor who's been a long time PPro user, I welcomed the news that it was only a few cards. I want/need a stable system - that's what my paying clients expect when we sit down to edit. That's what I want/need when I'm cutting the short films and other creative projects I do.

[Guest]

Eric Addison wrote:

"Query:  What is the difference between a GTX 295 and a GTX 285?"

More then you may know.

It was a question to the obstinate (not you, who sounds reasonable), and the answer is:  hardly anything.

The fundamental issue (taking us back to this thread's whole topic) is whether, in hindsight, Adobe's restriction - which can be hacked around in ten seconds - was fictional or non-fictional.

Verdict:  Fictional.  With minor exceptions that I call a rounding error (such as people who screwed something up), everyone who has performed the hack has gotten a pleasing upgrade in speed via MPE GPU acceleration, most typically using a GTX 240 GPU which is disabled deliberately due to Adobe's contractual deal with nVidia (to the scattered applause of Adobe enthusiasts applauding capitalism's pyhrric victory).

Still, the old guard who have a vested interest in keeping professional video outside the easy access of creative artists who don't do events/commercials/etc., overlook that outcome and simply don't budge.  They'll pay whatever it takes to keep professional video tools within the limits of a quasi-unionized industry who have recent memories of spending a fortune on now-clunky gear.

Unfortunately, technology moves faster than all of that, and them.  Twelve-year olds are out-performing video industry veterans.  A wonderful thing to behold.  I have noticed that a spare few such veterans have the wisdom to celebrate this revolution.

[thenoisystuff]

hpmoon: "Twelve-year olds are out-performing video industry veterans.  A wonderful thing to behold.  I have noticed that a spare few such veterans have the wisdom to celebrate this revolution."

Are you a twelve year old by any chance?  Because you certainly seem to reason like one.  Any chance that you might grow up before I get bored with this post?

Please tell us what you have done thus far in your media profession so that we may bow to your obvious wisdom.  You still didn't answer my question. Do you even own CS5?  Why do you need a CUDA certified card that badly?  (CS5 works a treat even in non MPE mode.) Other than You Tube where can I see your latest blockbuster movie?

[Guest]

thenoisystuff wrote:

hpmoon: "Twelve-year olds are out-performing video industry veterans.  A wonderful thing to behold.  I have noticed that a spare few such veterans have the wisdom to celebrate this revolution."

Are you a twelve year old by any chance?  Because you certainly seem to reason like one.  Any chance that you might grow up before I get bored with this post?

Please tell us what you have done thus far in your media profession so that we may bow to your obvious wisdom.  You still didn't answer my question. Do you even own CS5?  Why do you need a CUDA certified card that badly?  (CS5 works a treat even in non MPE mode.) Other than You Tube where can I see your latest blockbuster movie?

You seem scared.

But please, it was your idea:  Go first.

[thenoisystuff]

I don't make movies.  I work almost exclusively in Corporate video.  But you don't appreciate this skillset or the experience involved so I'm asking you to outline why you think your opinion or experience is so much better.

[Guest]

thenoisystuff wrote:

I don't make movies.  I work almost exclusively in Corporate video.  But you don't appreciate this skillset or the experience involved so I'm asking you to outline why you think your opinion or experience is so much better.

"utline why you think your opinion or experience is so much better" - I can't think of anything more utterly boring, trivial and irrelevant for anyone keeping up with this thread topic.  (Speaking of twelve-year-olds!)  For the last time, just chill.

[FelixUnderwood]

Anyone keeping up with this thread at this point is pretty lame...oops, I'm outta here!

[chupacabracobra]

Eric Addison wrote:

Wow...has this thread become more interesting...

"..while those subjects make for a respectable profession, many (maybe most) of us don't do that.  And anyway, most for-hire videographers I know have side projects that exercise their creative instincts."

First off, I think most of us do make our living shooting events, doing commericals and/or corporate work, etc. I think the indie filmmakers are the more rare breed here - I could be wrong, but from my time here, that's my own assesment. I'd love it to be different, but at the moment - that's reality. And I'm going to assume that your last bit about "projects that exercise their creative instincts"  doesn't mean that working on commercials, corporate video, and shooting events doesn't involve creativity...because it does. Sometimes just as much if not more then narrative filmmaking.

"... big companies like Adobe should not gouge customers when, again, there is no technical reason to do so."

I don't think they are, and as others have pointed out - if you want a professional tool, you sometimes have to more for it. No one says you have to buy one of the MPE approved cards for PPro to work. I just spent a whole week with my laptop, cutting HD on location without MPE and PPro worked great - couldn't have done the edit with anything else.

"Query:  What is the difference between a GTX 295 and a GTX 285?"

More then you may know. I'm not a tech person, but I know that cards do things differently sometimes and they don't always act the same even though they are very similar. I've got a HP computer with a GeForce 230M card running Windows 7, and my wife who edits as well, has an HP with a GeForce 220. When I try and use Magic Bullet Looks on mine, it works sometimes but not most. On her system - works all the time. I've been working with Red Giant to find out why, but it's most likely a graphics card issue. So, yes - there can be a big difference between the way the 285 and the 295 work. Adobe developed support for the 285 because they deemed it a better match for what PPro needs, as well as it being at a lower price point for those who can't afford the more expensive Quadro cards.

I hardly think Adobe is "gouging" anyone - they want to create the most stable software they can, and the only way to do that is by testing it with a limited number of cards (seeing how they only have limited resources) and making sure it works with those cards the best it can. If you can't see the logic in that, I don't know what else to tell you. As an editor who's been a long time PPro user, I welcomed the news that it was only a few cards. I want/need a stable system - that's what my paying clients expect when we sit down to edit. That's what I want/need when I'm cutting the short films and other creative projects I do.

enough with the nonsense about 285 vs. 295, as you said, you are not  tech person

and again none of this thread really even matters since all you do is type in the name 295 and it works anyway

[kdoc2]

May I please have help or advise about the GTX 260: I did try and type in the name, with no avail. Can someone please tell me if the 260 should work, and if so, give me the exact steps I should follow, as I'm not knowledgable about such issues.

Thank you

kdoc

[thenoisystuff]

Ok!  I don't do nerdy aggression.  I'm 51.  I just do regular aggression.

Let's call a truce. You're pissed at Adobe. I don't think the reason why you're pissed is valid.

I think it's unfair to say I've ignored just about everything discussed in this post. I've worked with several NLEs for over 15 years and I do know a LITTLE about things (Tim Kolb knows EVERYTHING).

Believe me, I've been as frustrated as you at times.  I still believe CS4 was a lash-up ( sometimes I wanted to throw the PC against a wall) - but do understand the dynamics of having to change to 64bit from 32bit to take advantage of today's processing power.

IMHO you're being unrealistic about the product.  It's a commercial product that has to make a return for it's designer/manufacturer.  In today's world we have to make partners wherever and whenever we can.  (How do you and I know that Adobe didn't try to do a partnering programme with ATI before nVidia. That we don't hear of it doesn't make it not true. )

When I started out in the business the cheapest Avid Media Composer was off-line only (crap quality) coming in at just under £18,000.  Whoa!

Where are we now?

For less than $3000 you now can post-produce a cinema quality movie.  JHC...I wish I had that capability 20 years ago when I was your age.

[FelixUnderwood]

No, let's not stop now! We haven't heard from Harm yet! 😉

[thenoisystuff]

I agree but he's Dutch and probably still recovering from the football (soccer) World Cup.  get well soon Harm!

[chupacabracobra]

thenoisystuff wrote:

"It has everything to do with arbitrary decisions that are not grounded in technical reasons but rather in profit motivation tied to inter-company, anti-competitive agreements -- in this case, between nVidia and Adobe"

What on earth are you talking about for goodness sake!

This is globalized commerce not Stalinist Russia.  Of course Adobe seeks to partner with hardware vendors where they can.  It gives them a competitive advantage.  Do you think Avid or Apple do not?  Since Avid came into existence is was hardware dependent.  Are you going to trash Avid for being good at what they do and undoubtedly the industry standard?

It's not a question of locking out specific cards.  It's a question of guaranteeing the performance of CS5 with a set few.  This is not only pragmatic but it makes perfect sense to the vast majority of users who need to know their hardware will be cross supported by the software suppliers.  A GTX285 is $400 dollars!!!!  Which bit of your bank will that break?

Look, if you don't like the CS5 set up - stay with CS4 as DVDMike said. Better still keep with whatever amateur movie maker kit you've already got.

Just stop wasting everyone's time with your juvenile rants.

What does it have to do with guaranteeing performance?

They don't lock out those who only have 3GB of RAM or those with a slow, old CPU and that right there will alter performance way more than GTX275 vs285 by a huge factor! And who says the top end Fermi card won't do better than the 285, both supported cards?

Again he wasn't saying he didn't like CS5, or that CS5 is 64bit or that CS5 costs a lot, he just didn't like how many got scared into going for expensive video cards and how some even dumped off BETTER, but not officially supported cards, for worse but officially supported cards.

But in the end it doesn't matter since they purposely made it easy to 'hack' and have pledged to keep it so. So long as you didn't fall for the talk and pre-buy some new card before release, you are fine.

Maybe Adobe was just paranoid that nVidia has been messing up CUDA or something and only wanted a few known cards just to 100% guarantee easy support or maybe nvidia/adobe worked together and in return hey agreed to make it sound like it would be a big risk to go with a non-supported card. But they obviously were not too fierce about it, even if so, since again they made it insanely easy to 'hack' and have no plans to remove the easy 'hack'.

Maybe if you do tons of streams at once you need the quadro since they unlock more streams, but that has nothing to do with supported vs. unsupported since a 285 uses non-quadro drivers, same for consumer Fermi 400 series.

1. it's not a big deal since nobody has been locked out of anything that works

2. otoh, it's not crazy to think they set up the official list, at least in part to give their partner perhaps a few extra $$ card sales, and it's not exactly an unheard of occurence so i don't know why everyone thinks that is so impossible. maybe that had nothing to do with it, who knows, but i certainly wouldn't be shocked if it did

[Mortimer_IOU]

Too bad this thread has gotten so snotty, as it started out to be a helpful review.

Anyhow, I'm locking it for the time being.