# Requirements

## Operating system

Nobe OmniScope runs on both Windows and macOS.

The minimum requirements are:

* Windows 10 or later,
* macOS High Sierra (10.13) or later.
  * Intel based Macs
  * Apple Silicon based Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4)

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Windows 7 and macOS 10.10 are supported with 1.9.26 version of OmniScope.
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## Hardware requirements

### GPU Requirements by Platform

| Platform    | Backend    | Requirements                       |
| ----------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **macOS**   | Metal      | Any Mac with Metal support (2012+) |
| **Windows** | DirectX 11 | DirectX 11 compatible GPU          |

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Starting with version 1.11.25, OmniScope on Windows uses **DirectX 11** as the rendering backend, replacing the previous OpenGL + OpenCL backend. This provides improved performance and better compatibility with modern Windows systems.
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Nobe OmniScope will also work on integrated Intel GPU chips but the performance might not be optimal.
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## Performance Considerations

### Recommended system for external scope setup running macOS

We have thoroughly tested multiple Mac systems and found out that **M2 Pro Mini 16GB Ram** to be the ideal choice for UHD signal monitoring.

Here's a screenshot from our test layout:

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2FVkWnSCYZISJV9Bxwx5j6%2F2023-11-02_m2_pro_mini.png?alt=media&#x26;token=81aa1607-0b5f-4fc3-b950-f2b224bb0c3e" alt=""><figcaption><p>M2 Pro Mini 16 GB Ram</p></figcaption></figure>

The layout consists of:

* Source viewer,
* RGB Parade,
* Luminosity Waveform,
* LMH Vectorscope,
* CIE Plot,
* Histogram,
* QC Timeline view.

On top of that there are all the QC features enabled:

* Gamut check,
* HDR gamut check,
* HDR statistics,
* Blanking Detection.

There's no scaling or performance settings applied - everything is running with the native UHD signal (10bit YCbCr 4:2:2 through DeckLink 8K Pro).

OmniScope runs reliably with no dropped frames.

### Cheaper options

Using the same layout as above, but without the QC tools on **M1 Mini with 8GB RAM**:

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2FScVvbbncoFfFroyx95nb%2Fm1_mini.png?alt=media&#x26;token=3c517770-bf92-4293-9fae-bea4495e858f" alt=""><figcaption><p>M1 Mini 8GB Ram</p></figcaption></figure>

The system runs reliably without losing frames on up to **2K 1080p** 30 fps.

By applying some scaling settings and performance options it's **possible to monitor UHD** signal with the same machine.

***

### Windows based systems

#### FullHD monitoring

For FullHD only monitoring you can get away with as low as GTX 750 GPU or similar.

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Integrated **Intel** graphics chips are generally not recommended.
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#### UHD 30p monitoring

For a smooth UHD 30p workflow we recommend PC builds with GPUs like RTX 2060 or stronger.

Our test system that performs perfectly smoothly with the above layout and all the QC features enabled in UHD 30p:

* nVidia RTX 2060,
* Intel Core i5-13400F,
* Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX,
* Kingston Fury Beast Black 32GB DDR5,
* DeckLink Mini Recorder 4K.

#### UHD 50p / 60p monitoring

For UHD workflows at 50p or 60p frame rates, we recommend stepping up the GPU to handle the increased throughput:

* NVIDIA RTX 3060 12 GB (or stronger),
* Intel Core i5-13400 / AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (or stronger),
* 16 GB DDR5 RAM,
* NVMe SSD storage,
* DeckLink Mini Recorder 4K or UltraStudio 4K Mini.

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These are general guidelines based on our testing experience. Actual performance depends on layout complexity and how many scopes/QC features are active simultaneously. NVIDIA GPUs are strongly recommended on Windows — our DirectX 11 backend works most reliably with NVIDIA cards. We also recommend using **Studio (SD)** drivers over Game Ready drivers for stability in professional workflows.
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