I am looking to build a new encoder specifically for H.264 transcoding. Does anybody have experience with comparison between a dual CPU setup with the latest generation of Xeon processors vs. the 4th Gen i7 with QSV (Intel QuickSync Video)?
In general I have found that QSV encoding is very impressive when it comes to H.264 transcodes, but I don't know if it will be able to beat the raw power of the latest Xeon CPUs in a pair. Unfortunately I don't believe that any of the QSV-enabled CPUs are able to be paired. I also have a couple NVidia Tesla M2090 GPUs to throw in there as a supplement, but they are not powerful enough to handle it on their own (6-8 stream HD content).
My priority for this is speed over quality, as I can always process later for quality and replace the existing files. Any thoughts or experience here would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
More about :dual xeon single 4770k cpus 264 encoding
the xeon e5/e7 would easily beat the i7, but then again, its like $2000 for both while the i7 is $500, if you have the money go for the xeon, if not go for the i7
I ended up going with the dual Xeon/Tesla option. 2x Xeon E5-2687W and a Tesla K20c. Handles video encoding very well and is smoking fast.
The Intel Quick Sync Video is much more efficient and would be a great option if only more encoding software was able to use it. If I were on a tighter budget I would probably have gone with the i7 w/ QSV and spent more effort on finding compatible software for all of my output needs. Thanks all for the replies.