For optimal Ergosoft RIP performance, the following system configuration (or a comparable setup) is recommended. This configuration represents a higher‑performance reference system, not a minimum requirement. Ergosoft RIP can also be operated reliably on less powerful hardware, depending on workload, printer configuration, and production requirements.
Operating System
Ergosoft supports the following operating system:
- Windows 11
Other operating systems may still work, but users are doing so at their own risk as Ergosoft will not provide technical assistance for non supported operating systems. Please note that virtualized systems are not supported by Ergosoft.
Processor
Raster performance of the Ergosoft RipEngine is primarily determined by CPU performance. For high raster throughput, a high clock frequency per physical core is generally more beneficial than a high number of cores, as the RipEngine gains the greatest performance from fast individual cores.
While the RipEngine can be configured to use multiple cores and certain tasks—such as dithering—are automatically parallelized, the performance gains from additional cores are typically lower than those achieved through higher single‑core performance.
When operating multiple RipEngines simultaneously, it is recommended to provide at least one additional physical CPU core per RipEngine to ensure efficient parallel operation and consistent performance.
If possible, CPU Hyper‑Threading should be disabled, as it usually provides minimal benefit for RIP processing and may, in some cases, negatively impact raster performance.
Recommended CPU:
Current‑generation Intel Core Ultra 9 / Core i9 (or Ultra 7 / i7) or AMD Ryzen 9 (or Ryzen 7) processors with at least 8 physical cores and the highest achievable clock frequency.
RAM
System memory (RAM) is primarily used to buffer data during RIP processing and directly influences rasterization performance, although its impact is typically secondary to CPU performance. If available RAM is exhausted during raster processing, excess data is written to storage, which can significantly reduce raster speed.
Because PDF/EPS rendering and/or halftone raster processing often generates large volumes of intermediate data, a minimum of 32 GB of RAM is recommended for production systems. When operating multiple RipEngines concurrently, the amount of installed RAM should be increased accordingly to ensure consistent performance and system stability
Solid State Drives
SSD read and write performance directly affects RipEngine operation, as storage is used for temporary raster data, spool data, and intermediate processing files. For reliable performance, both SSD access speed and sufficient free storage capacity must be considered.
For performance‑oriented installations, Ergosoft recommends using two or more physical SSDs. Typically, one SSD hosts the operating system and Ergosoft RIP, a second is used for user data, temporary raster data, and spool data, and a third may be used for artwork and image data.
Distributing these workloads across multiple SSDs reduces I/O contention, improving processing performance and overall system stability, especially in high‑throughput production environments.
Network/Ports
If the printers and connection interfaces to be used with the RIP are known in advance, it should be ensured that the required ports and interfaces are available on the RIP system at the time of purchase.
A Gigabit network interface is generally recommended. While many TCP/IP printers still operate with 100 Mbit/s network connections, a higher‑performance network interface provides additional bandwidth and stability, particularly in workflows where large image files are accessed over the network.
*Note that for some connection types like Mimaki TCP/IP a Gigabit Ethernet is mandatory.
Summary
The following system configuration is recommended as a baseline for optimal Ergosoft RIP performance:
- Operating System: Windows 11
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 / i9 (or Ultra 7 / i7) or AMD Ryzen 9 (or 7) at current generation with 8 or more physical cores and highest frequency possible.
- RAM: 32 GB RAM or higher.
- Storage Drives: 2 or more SSDs as Program/Spool/Image Drives; size min. 1 TB or according to requirement.
- Network/Ports: Gigabit or 10 Gigabit network card.
- Network Cables: Cat 6 / 6a / 7 / 8 cabling recommended. Proper enterprise‑grade network infrastructure (suitable switches and wiring) required.
- Graphic Card: A current standard GPU is sufficient; no high‑end gaming GPU required. Used for JobComposer preview rendering. Multi‑monitor or 4K setups may require a more capable or additional GPU.
- Display: Display Resolution of 1920x1080 or higher