Bandwidth Consumption Estimates
The following table provides network bandwidth approximations for different user roles based on a 1920 x 1080 display topology.
Bandwidth Consumption by User Role
| User Role | PCoIP Mode | Average Bandwidth | Peak Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task Worker | Default | < 100 kbps | < 1 Mbps |
| Knowledge Worker | Default | < 1 Mbps | < 10 Mbps |
| CAD or Creative (30 fps workloads) | PCoIP Ultra Auto-Offload (YUV 4:2:0 Example) | < 5 Mbps | < 50 Mbps |
| CAD or Creative (60 fps workloads) | PCoIP Ultra Auto-Offload (YUV 4:2:0 Example) | < 10 Mbps | < 100 Mbps |
| Review | PCoIP Ultra Auto-Offload (YUV 4:4:4 Q90 Example) | < 25 Mbps | < 250 Mbps |
NOTES
- Bandwidth values provided are broad approximations only. PCoIP bandwidth depends on protocol configuration, user role, workflow and content characteristics. Higher display resolutions will increase bandwidth requirements for video or graphics content as illustrated in the PCoIP Ultra Benchmark Examples.
- We recommend that you establish a proof-of-concept (PoC) to characterize your anticipated bandwidth needs before proceeding with a production deployment.
Peak Estimates for Graphic Intensive Workloads¶
For graphic-intensive workloads, network administrators should consider both average network consumption and the peak bandwidth to sustain high image quality during high frame rate activities such as video playback. PCoIP automatically adjusts image quality and frame rate if insufficient network bandwidth is available.
Peak Bandwidth Determination¶
Peak bandwidth demand can typically be estimated at 0.5 - 2.0 bits-per-pixel (bpp) compression ratio when using PCoIP default or PCoIP Ultra CPU Offload modes. When using PCoIP GPU Offload or Auto-Offload with 4:2:0 chroma sub-sampling, peak bandwidth can be between 0.1 – 1.0 bpp, dependent on configured image quality and content complexity. In Creative Review cases where high image quality settings (e.g., Q90) are used to preserve detailed screen content such as fine lines and textural detail, a peak bandwidth allocation supporting a compression ratio of 3 - 4 bpp may be needed.
Average Bandwidth Determination¶
While use case dependent, the average bandwidth is typically less than 10% of the peak demand, considering that PCoIP consumes minimal bandwidth during periods of display inactivity. Bandwidth provisioning of a shared network should be based on a sum of averages, plus an empirical peak allocation, rather than a strict sum of peak values associated with individual connections.
Image Quality Considerations¶
Peak and average bandwidth consumption can be forcibly constrained by using a session bandwidth limit or non-default quality settings as discussed in the PCoIP Session Variable section. For example, by adjusting the Maximum Initial Image Quality from Q80 to Q70 when using PCoIP Ultra Auto-Offload, bandwidth savings of approx. 50% may be achieved during video playback.