Hardware
Hardware requirements are nothing static, so we try to maintain this page with our current recommendations.
Typical Hardware Requirements (Counts)
Depending on your conference size you will find yourself on the lower or higher end of the given ranges on the following list.
| Location | Equipment |
|---|---|
| Proceedings Office | 5 - 30 Computers 1 - 2 Printers |
| Author Reception | 2 - 5 Computers |
| Speaker Preparation | 2 - 4 Windows and 1 Mac Laptop Setup should be identical to the Auditorium At least two computers must have a correct (Slides) Editors PC setup |
| Auditorium(s) | 1 PC and Mac support for each auditorium 1 Spare for each on-hand 1 Timer for each auditorium |
| Registration | 1 - 4 Laptops |
| Satellite Meetings | Laptop and Projector as needed |
| Dot Board | Laptop (or small PC like NUC or Raspberry Pi) and Large Screen |
| Business Office / Paper Cafe | This is for authors to work on their papers 1 - 4 computers (for people who did not bring their laptop) 1 Multi-Function Printer Some Laptop Spaces |
For example for the author reception we have a a simple "rule of thumb" -- per 250 participants one computer for the counter. In addition the room needs one computer for the room coordinator/Editor-in-Chief who has ability to make editorial decisions.
It is important to have this second machine set up, keeping the counter machine free for author reception. The computer on the counter has a single use, the only software requirement is that of a browser window to access the JACoW Indico system.
As the amount of participants increases, the scaling would be
| Conference Size | Participants | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| small | <250 participants | 2 computers (1 for counter, 1 for Room Coordinator) |
| medium | 250-500 participants | 3 computers (2 for counter, 1 for Room Coordinator) |
| medium/large | 500-1000 participants | 3-5 computers (3-4 on counter, 1 for Room Coordinator) |
| large | >1000 participants | 5 computers (4 on counter, 1 for Room Coordinator) |
All computers must have English Operating systems and Applications, as well US Keyboard layouts.
Buying vs. Renting (Quotes)
Usually renting computers is convenient for large numbers. For a few computers, buying might be a good choice.
Renting has a plus since you can ask the provider to rent the commercial software as well (e.g.: Windows, Office, Adobe Acrobat).
IPAC'24 (large, 30+ editors)
| Should we rent or buy? | |
|---|---|
| Buy | • Computers are low cost • No cost to IPAC • Computers can be bought early and set up • No, too much $ at one time • ORNL buys per need not in bulk |
| Rent | Vendor • Sets up software • Manages shipping and storage • Latest versions available • Purges data afterwards • Another contract • Possibly Poor service |
| Issues with renting at IPAC'24 | |
|---|---|
| Vernon Computer | • Communication • IEEE contract • Disc Images • Delivery -> Lost iPads -> Delivered items didn’t match BoL |
| Return | • Pickup on Saturday was after venue contract • Driver didn’t have assistance |
| More help packing up afterwards needed | • 3 people took 5 hours |
| Venue contract | • Not included items • Electrical power drops |
| Wired ethernet | Too expensive |
| AV contracts | • Venue • Satellite meetings • Social events |
IPAC'16 (large, 20+ editors):
- Hiring rental company can save a lot of labor
- It was slightly costly
- They did all the setup including power, network, updates etc.
IBIC'16 (medium, 6 editors):
- Renting finally worked fine.
- The IT setup in all the PCs is not as slow as thought
- The process of installing the bundle and setup the software is not a big deal
- If you can do it in parallel with some people it is fast and smooth.
IPAC'15 (large, 20+ editors):
- Purchasing instead of renting worked very well
- Chosen hardware was very good
- Allowed plenty of time for configuration
- Spares were readily available (except monitors and power cords!)
Recommended Hardware
Suggested (was used for IPAC '25)
PC
- Intel® Core™ i7 (4700 MHz)
- 32 GB memory
- 512 GB SSD
- High-end graphics card that supports video transcoding, (e.g. IPAC '25 used RTX 3050)
- 27” PC monitor, 2560 x 1440 resolution, 16:9, (real monitor, not TV, connected through DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort)
- 1 Gigabit Ethernet
- Mouse and Keyboard even if you provide a Laptop
Minimum
PC
- Intel® Core™ i5 (2900 MHz Basic Clock Frequency)
- 16 GB memory
- 256 GB SSD
- Mid-range graphics card that supports 2D and 3D acceleration
- 22” PC monitor, 1920 x 1200 resolution, 16:10, (real monitor, not TV, connected through DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort)
- 100 MBit Ethernet
- Mouse and Keyboard even if you provide a Laptop