Recommended Host PC Specifications
At the moment, Blackrock does not have any minimum requirements established for the Host PCs connected to our recording system; Below you'll find recommendations based on what's worked well for our customers with the most intensive recording configurations (256ch+ recording raw, continuous, and neural event data with multiple Neural Signal Processors [DAQ]). With the following info you can make the best decision on what specifications are right for your use case.
Processor: Intel Core i7 or i9 / AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 / any CPU that is fairly new (2018 and later). If you are planning to run a demanding load (Example: Recording raw signals from 256 channels simultaneously), then we recommend getting a top-of-the-line CPU to keep up with the system load from the data acquisition system. Specific specs to keep in mind are:
- Multiple cores allow for parallel processing, enabling faster data processing. Look for CPUs with a higher number of cores, such as quad-core (4), hexa-core (6), octa-core (8), or even higher.
- The clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), indicates the number of cycles a CPU can execute per second. Higher clock speeds generally result in faster data processing. Look for CPUs with a clock speed of at least 3.5 GHz.
RAM (Random Access Memory): At least 16 gigabytes of RAM is recommended for all experiments, but if you are running more experiment software programs such as task programs, more RAM may be necessary. Specific specs to keep in mind are:
- DDR4 or DDR5 (Generation of RAM)
- High RAM speed. Measured in MHz (megahertz) RAM speed, affects the data transfer rate between the RAM and CPU. Higher RAM speeds can improve overall system performance, especially in memory-intensive tasks. Look for RAM speeds of 3200 MHz or greater.
Storage: We recommend saving your recording data on solid state drives (SSDs) over hard disk drives (HDD) due to the faster data writing speeds. If you are recording for long periods of time (overnight or more than 6 hours), then getting a large storage space (2+ terabytes of SSD) will make it less likely that your recordings are cut off due to storage limitations. It is not recommended to write data (save your recording) to an external hard drive since the transfer speed limitations of USB communication can lead to packet loss.
Graphics: A dedicated graphics card is not necessary but will greatly help with data visualization and GPU-accelerated computations (ex. online spike sorting with PCA). Look for a computer with a mid-grade or high-end graphics card such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX series (2000 series and up) or the AMD Radeon RX series (6000 series and up). Specific specs to keep in mind are:
- Memory Interface and Bandwidth: The memory interface and bandwidth influence the speed at which the GPU can access and process data. GPUs with wider memory interfaces and higher memory bandwidth tend to perform better, especially in memory-intensive tasks. Look for GPUs with higher memory interface widths (Example: 256-bit, 384-bit) and faster memory speeds to ensure efficient data transfer.
- CUDA Cores (NVIDIA) or Stream Processors (AMD): CUDA cores (NVIDIA) and stream processors (AMD) are the processing units within the GPU that perform the actual calculations. More CUDA cores or stream processors generally result in better performance. Consider GPUs with higher core counts, as they can handle complex calculations and parallel processing more efficiently.
Operating System (OS): Blackrock recording software (Central) is verified to work with Windows version 10 and 11. Central can be run on Linux and MacOS devices through a virtual machine, however this method is not verified by software release testing.
Network Connectivity: If you are planning on purchasing a new PC (not a laptop) and would like to connect more than one Cerebus/Neuroport/Gemini Hub to the same computer, you'll want to acquire an ethernet card that can support enough ethernet ports to handle your experiment's requirements. For more information on Blackrock DAQ compatible ethernet cards (aka network interface cards, NIC), please see this KB article: Network Connectivity (NIC, Switches) with Blackrock DAQs (blackrockneurotech.com)
If you do not have a resource demanding setup (Example: Recording 96 channels of data on a Cereplex Direct), then a Host PC with internal specifications that are weaker than the ones mentioned above should be suitable; We recommend getting a fairly strong PC/laptop for your convenience & ease of use.
If you plan on running a closed loop setup with short latency times (<~30 ms), it's imperative that the Host PC is strong enough to avoid increasing latency times significantly. Running data analyses programs and machine learning algorithms in a closed loop setup will inherently increase latency (Example: Windows jitter), however slower PCs will be much less efficient and therefore slow down the feedback loop.
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