Recommended Printer Quantities per Computer for Optimal 3DPrinterOS Performance
These guidelines outline recommended printer counts per computer to ensure stable and efficient operation with 3DPrinterOS. They serve as general recommendations; users can test higher printer counts based on their specific hardware, workload, and connectivity, adjusting as needed to ensure stability.
General Considerations
Hardware Specifications for Desktops, Laptops, and Servers
All 3DPrinterOS printer control code runs on a single core, while other cores are used only for video streaming.
A non budget dual or quad core CPU can outperform a high end CPU due to better single core performance.
Server CPUs such as AMD Epyc or Intel Xeon are suboptimal for this task because they usually have a very large core count with low single core performance.
In most cases, other factors become bottlenecks much sooner than the CPU.
RAM requirements are minimal. At least 1 GB of free RAM is expected, plus 0.1 GB per camera, and an additional 50 MB per printer above ten.
Some printer types have non optimized control modules and require significantly more memory per printer. These include:
MakerBot 5th Gen and Method, Flashforge Dreamer and related models, Bosch.
Printer Connection
Avoid poorly configured WiFi networks with overcrowded channels or bad signal to noise ratio (SNR).
USB hub performance and reliability can be unpredictable, especially when connecting large numbers of printers and cameras through the same hub.
Software Considerations
CPU performance and RAM capacity affect 3DPrinterOS far less than poor OS configuration, software issues (background processes, malware, etc), or unreliable USB or network connections, especially WiFi.
If your desktop or laptop system is laggy, it will affect 3DPrinterOS performance more than hardware specifications.
Except for setups with very large numbers of cameras (over 25), there is no reason to use high performance CPUs such as AMD Ryzen 9 or Intel i9.
Most Intel Xeon CPUs have poor single core performance and would be wasteful for this task.
A lower middle range CPU with a moderate amount of RAM is usually sufficient, provided the OS is stable, since other factors become bottlenecks more quickly than CPU load for most printer models.
System Stability
If network constraints prevent printers from communicating reliably through your existing infrastructure, consider using the Raspberry Pi WiFi access point mode available in 3DPrinterOS. It is designed specifically for isolated or IoT network environments. Setup instructions
Distributing printers across multiple computers reduces the impact of potential hardware or software failures.
For Raspberry Pi setups, two printers and two cameras per Pi without a USB hub is a safe configuration. Avoid high resolution (high current) cameras. The maximum total current for a Raspberry Pi is 1.2 A.
Raspberry Pi Power
Poor quality power supplies can severely affect both stability and performance.
Exceptions
MakerBot 5th Generation, MakerBot Method, Flashforge printers require much more RAM for file processing, up to 2.5 times the print file size. Multiply this number by the number of printers and add 1 GB to estimate the required free RAM. Alternatively, avoid starting multiple print jobs simultaneously if operating near system limits.
Approximate Recommendations
Typical Desktops with 8 GB+ RAM
USB Printers: 8–20
Network Printers: 15–120
With Video Streaming: 10–50 cameras
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)
Older or Low End Laptops/Systems
(older than eight years, pre AMD Ryzen CPUs, Intel CPUs below i3, older laptop CPUs with names ending in U)
USB Printers: 6–15
Network Printers: 10–40
With Video Streaming: 5–20 cameras
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)
Raspberry Pi 5
USB Printers: 6–15
Network Printers: 15–30
With Video Streaming: 5–20 cameras
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)
Raspberry Pi 4
USB Printers: 4–10
Network Printers: 10–15
With Video Streaming: 4–10 cameras
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)
Raspberry Pi 3
USB Printers: 3–6
Network Printers: 6–10
With Video Streaming: 3–8 cameras
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)
Raspberry Pi 2
USB Printers: 1–4
Network Printers: 4–6
With Video Streaming: 1–4 cameras
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
USB Printers: 1–3
Network Printers: 5–8
With Video Streaming: 1–2 cameras
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)
Raspberry Pi Zero W
USB Printers: 1–2
Network Printers: 1–4
With Video Streaming: 1 camera
(excluding MakerBot 5th Gen, Method, and Flashforge)