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I am on a 6core 3.5 macpro (2013) w/16gb ram. I have a Mercury Elite Pro Dual connected via thunderbolt 2 (might be thunderbolt3).
I have 4k@24fps 4:2:08bit from the gh5 in a 1080p24 sequence. I have had 4k@60p 4:2:2@10bit in the same sequence settings before and did not get this same level of sloppiness. I normally run 3 other programs in the background (chrome, ps & ae) but this one seems to skip when there is nothing in the background.
I think it is a ram issue but before i jump from 16 to 64gigs ram I wanted to know if the ram would help this.
What do you think?
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There are a LOT of variables here. One thing you didnt mention is the codec. Im guessing it's H.264 wrapped in an mp4 or mov container? Not sure exactly what the GH5 uses.
Also, what version of Premiere are you running? Recent versions on more recent hardware can use the GPU for hardware accelerated decoding of H.264 files, otherwise Premiere will use the CPU to decode which could be causing the stuttering. Unfortunately, if memory serves, the 2013 Mac Pro doesn't support the HW acceleration although that might have changed in the 2019 update.
RAM prrrroooobably isn't the issue, although more than 16 GB is welcome. This is probably an issue of the CPU being used to playback your h.264 files, which sometimes makes the playback stutter.
Also, your Mercury Elite Pro Dual is definitely connected via TB 2 and not 3. TB didnt come out for 2-3 after your 2013 Mac Pro. eGPUs connected via TB2 could be a bit of an issue too. You really need/want TB3 to take advantage of it. Does the playback stutter if you disconnect the eGPU?
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Hi Jason. Questions to help me understand please. You mentioned that 2013 MP doesn't support HW acceleration. Meaning Open CL and Metal? And, saying might have changed with 2019 - meaning Premiere Pro 2019? or MacPro expected 2019 release or both?
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I believe that the 2013 Mac Pro doesn't support hardware decoding for video playback. However, Metal should still be an option under Renderer in General Project Settings, so the GPU will be used for rendering accelerated effects and other odds and ends. I could be wrong on this, so hoping someone can verify me lol. Also, when I mentioned 2019, I was referring to Premiere. I've got no knowledge of any coming Mac Pros, sadly!
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Thank for the clarity Jason