Question Acceptable CPU usage for kiosk scenario (24-7)

[eco_bach]

Hi
Creating a kiosk application using 4K video and currently testing on a low end PV (i5 Intel NUC)
I am showing an average of 50% cpu usage.

Is this too much considering the device will be running possibly 24-7(or at least 18 hours a day)?

If so, is there an 'acceptable' cpu usage range for kiosk type applications?

 

[whm1974]

Off hand I would say that is about right as you are using 4K video.

 

[eco_bach]

Thanks. So a constant peak CPU temp of just under 80C is ok?

 

[Topweasel]

As said the CPU usage amount sounds about right. But the temps to me are a bit high (basically it's always riding against it's thermal limit and probably throttling due to that). But that is more a personal opinion. CPU's are supposed to have one of the highest MTBF's at load of any part in your system. It certainly isn't going to run forever with it running like that but should still last a long time.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Creating a kiosk application using 4K video and currently testing on a low end PV (i5 Intel NUC)
I am showing an average of 50% cpu usage.

Off hand I would say that is about right as you are using 4K video.

50% CPU load decoding a 4K sounds a bit strange in my book. Are you software decoding it?

If you are, consider re-encoding it into a format* which you NUC can decode in hardware. That'll help matters, since GPU decoding is far more efficient.

*Older CPUs can't hardware decode h265 or VP9 f.x.

Is this too much considering the device will be running possibly 24-7(or at least 18 hours a day)?

If so, is there an 'acceptable' cpu usage range for kiosk type applications?

Not as such, but you'll want some headroom for when the system has to deal with updates and the like. With regards to thermals, cooler is always better. Intel guarantees 3 years of operation at TJmax for their consumer CPUs. However, other components may well fail before. The NUCs cooling system is likely not designed for 24/7 operation either, as are most laptops.

 

[DrMrLordX]

The NUCs cooling system is likely not designed for 24/7 operation either, as are most laptops.

That's possible.

@eco_bach you may wish to look at some ruggedized industrial PCs. Is this kiosk outdoors? Are you going to have variable ambient temperatures? If you are running up on a thermal limit at 50% CPU utilization now, what is going to happen if ambient temps go up by 5-10C?

 

[Topweasel]

That's possible.

@eco_bach you may wish to look at some ruggedized industrial PCs. Is this kiosk outdoors? Are you going to have variable ambient temperatures? If you are running up on a thermal limit at 50% CPU utilization now, what is going to happen if ambient temps go up by 5-10C?

It runs slower. It's at the thermal limit now and honestly the way Intel is handling the 9900k I am guess their plan for max perfomance is to always keep the CPU at load running against its thermal wall. So it's already throttling. It just means it will throttle lower (but should be able to maintain base clocks.

But Ruggedized PC's is a good point. Shuttle makes a not quite rugged mountable case barebones that might work well for something like this. Allows for customization. But compact and "rugged" for general misstreatment.

 

[eco_bach]

Thanks for the feedback! This is for an indoor installation and the videos I am testing are all HAP encoded .mp4s ad .mov's I believe. Not sure if that implies software only decoding..

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Thanks for the feedback! This is for an indoor installation

Depending on budget, take a look at these. They can specced for industrial temperature ranges, and are -relatively- affordable.

https://fit-iot.com/web/

and the videos I am testing are all HAP encoded .mp4s ad .mov's I believe. Not sure if that implies software only decoding..

HAP isn't that widely used on Windows, so I don't know if there are any players that do hardware acceleration of it.

Both MP4 and MOV are just container formats. Usually both use MPEG4 (h264), but can use (almost) anything. You can use VLC to view codec information, and handbrake should work for transcoding.

A matroska container using h264 is a good starting point.