Xeoma: video surveillance on low-end computers

«Is my computer powerful enough to run Xeoma?” – This is a common question we receive from both beginners and professionals in video surveillance. In 90% of cases, our answer is: “Of course it is!», as Xeoma is highly optimized and can run on almost any hardware. In this article, we will outline the minimum system requirements for smooth operation of Xeoma and provide examples of budget-friendly video surveillance server builds.

What affects server load?

The load on the server (the computer that processes video and stores archives) in the context of video surveillance depends on many factors. However, we will focus on just three of them:

Video decoding

Surveillance cameras record video in a compressed (encoded) format to save bandwidth and storage space. If we want to play back video (live or from the archive), the computer must decode (unpack) it. The processing load from decoding falls primarily on the processor and, in some cases, the graphics card.

Video analytics

Video analytics includes any type of analysis of what is happening in the frame — motion detection, face recognition, license plate recognition, object recognition, and more. Before analytics can be applied, the video must first be decoded and then undergo additional computations. As a result, video analytics puts a double load on the system.

Video stream characteristics

The higher the video quality is, the greater the load on the system during decoding and analytics will be, and the more storage space for archive will be required.

If you don’t need to preview video on the server or use analytics and only plan to record footage, any computer with a processor from 2010 or later, 4 GB of RAM, and a suitable hard drive will be sufficient. In this case, CPU load will not depend on the number of cameras.

Baseline specifications for server requirements calculations

All further calculations are based on the most common video stream specifications found in 90% of modern IP cameras:

Primary stream (for archive recording): h.264, 1080p, 1 Mbps, 15 FPS
Secondary stream (for preview): h.264, 480p, 500 Kbps, 15 FPS

Additionally, we assume that the archive will only be recorded when motion is detected in the frame, and video playback (both live and archived) will be accessed only via a mobile app or another computer. This results in an estimated storage requirement of 4.2 GB per day per camera (assuming moderate motion activity 30% of time).

Minimal system requirements and recommended server builds

The approximate prices for computers listed in this article are valid as of March 2025 and do not include the cost of hard drives.

Build for 1-5 cameras:

• Processor: Intel Atom x5-Z8300 / Intel Atom Z3770 / Intel Core i3-2365m / similar
• RAM: 4 GB
• GPU: Not required
• Storage: 128 – 630 GB

Used PC of the same specs would cost $20-$30 on the secondhand market. Below are budget-friendly options from various manufacturers:

Micro PC Raspberry Pi 4B (4GB RAM) – $62
Mini-PC HP T620 – $60
Micro PC Orange Pi 4A (4GB RAM) – $36

Build for 6-12 cameras

• Processor: Intel Core i3-540 / AMD Athlon II X3 450 / Intel Celeron G3900T / similar
• RAM: 6 GB
• GPU: Not required
• Storage: 756 GB – 1.5 TB

You can buy such a PC for $60-80 in any used computers store. Here are some modern options:

Mini PC Findarling T9 Plus – $135
Mini PC SZBOX S1 N100 – $155
Micro PC Raspberry Pi 5 – $90

Build for 13-20 cameras

• Processor: Intel Core i5-2400 / AMD Athlon 300GE / similar
• RAM: 8 GB
• GPU: Not required
• Storage: 1.6 TB – 2.5 TB

Any $80-120 PC from eBay would suffice those characteristics. And here are some modern alternatives:

Mini PC GenMachine MINI PC R3-4300U – $190
Mini PC Sibolan N305 – $185
Mini PC SZBOX 5300U – $200

Build for 21-32 cameras

• Processor: Intel Core i5-7600 / AMD Ryzen 3 3200G / similar
• RAM: 12-16 GB
• GPU: Not required
• Storage: 2.6 TB – 4 TB

Mini PCs with this level of power are disproportionately expensive, so we recommend either building a custom PC or purchasing a prebuilt system from the secondhand market.

New build: $300-400
Used option: $200-250

If you’re planning to connect more than 32 cameras or use advanced video analytics, please contact us to get expert advice.

April 25, 2025