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Yeah, that's a pretty amazing time... far better than anything i'm used to. that size is massive. The largest file i've ever tried to render was 3600x3600. It took all night to render. The '5,361 objects' is a fair amount. I think i've heard of much larger numbers but that could be in 'polygon count' which would entail your '5,361' to be multiplied by how many polygons make up those objects probably amplifying that number immensely.

What about navigation through the projects? Do the cards differ that performance?
 


That's not fair. I bought all my espresso stuff back in the days when I had money. :cry:
 


That's what I'm trying to determine for certain now.
 
I'm rendering camera 3 now at 8,000 x 6,000. It is taking MUCH longer than camera 4.

Is there a way to post pictures of what I'm rendering so can see what it is doing?
 




This is all i know about octance render so far. From the looks of it, it sounds like an awesome program. That benchmark sounds exciting!!
 
I wasted a lot of time. Rendering is CPU dependent. As near as I can tell, there is no significant difference in 3ds Max performance between the GTX 580 and the Quadro 4000, at least for what she uses it for.

Puff, I think the future is obviously in GPU rendering with multiple cards, 3 or more. And a year from now, Sandy Bridge will be the way to go. But for NOW, go with an i7-950 and a GTX 570. Keep the whole thing at $1500 or less, not including monitors. Do it today, the sooner the better. It'll be tits for the next year, and get you by just fine for another year after that. Re-asses your needs at that time and upgrade then.

That will save you A LOT of money now. I think if I had it to do over, knowing what I know now, that's what I would do.

-------------------------------------------------------------

It's been a long road, boys. I'm outta time. She taking the thing back to school tomorrow (with the 580). It's finally over.

It's a super nice machine, no doubt about it. By the way, it weights almost 50 lbs. Not sure how she's gonna get it from her car to studio. Gosh, I really hope she doesn't drop it.

 


Well ... To be fair to myself (and others), Adobe DOES use GPU accelleration and, it seems, that Premiere MPE can be configured to leverage ANY of the top-end FERMIs ... Which is to say ... The original config recommendations WERE valid and Illy's FIRST proper config (the one that made me cry), was just about perfect ... NO ... it *WAS* perfect ! (Students prolly need not stretch, financially, for a Quadro ... UNLESS there is a very FIRM and SPECIFIC requirement ! ).

Puff?! ... Illy's advice is purely golden. I would not bother with paying a premium for, or waiting for, a Sandy Ridge ... er ... Fridge ... er ... BRIDGE !! ... or waste too much time researching GPU options, at this point, UNLESS you have one of those ACCELLERATION PUG-INs, which demands a specific spec.

My final "add"? ... Spend on SSDs, Gobs of memory, and a great cooler for *CPU* OC !!!

Illy?? ... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GRACE AND YOUR GENEROSITY, in sharing your experiences, with world+pooch and your tolerance of my smart-assed (and sometimes rude) quips ... You have been a very good sport.

I think you both know nearly as much (or VERY possibly more), than I do, about how to balance and budget a power-design rig, for graduate level work-loads, at this point ...

... That means that, however clumsy, my time and efforts were not in vein ... I did my job (pat-pat).

Well over 2,000 views and hundreds of (sometimes substantive) posts. ... I'd say we ALL learned quite a lot.

Puff? ... Sorry for "slapping you around" and "shining you on" (at times) ... I admit that I did (initially) underestimate the depth of your insight ... I hope you understand that I felt it "necessary", to (in essence), "bring you to heel" (to the single socket solution). I think you "get that", now.
...
You have both been very good sports. A fantastic (tho sometimes harrowing) journey that has yeilded much fruit, for all, and WILL SAVE LOTS OF POOR NOOBS A BUNDLE !!

YAY, US !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb8xo2ER_Jk


CUDOs, all around !!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruz3vA0uP1c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rtz8jY0e0I





 
thanks guys. that was pretty fun... and informative i must say. Illy, I really appreciate your time and patience trying to get to the bottom of the GPU thing.

I don't think this thread would have any what the weight without you both high-jacking it. I'll be purchasing around the end of january - mid february to see what happens the 3rd tier of SSDs and Sandy-thing do to the current prices. Hopefully Mushkin will drop some more high quality DDR3 sticks for me to scoop too.


This is my build v3.0 (the grand finale) looking for a teary end here:

CASE: LIAN LI PC-A77F Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811112261

MOBO: ASUS P6X58D Premium
CPU: intel i7 950
CPUfan: Noctua NH-D14 fan

PSU: SeaSonic X Series X-850 (SS-850KM Active PFC F3) 850W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD ...
Item #: N82E16817151102

GPU: EVGA 015-P3-1583-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) Black Ops Edition 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ...
Item #: N82E16814130589
GPU FAN: Thermalright Shaman

MEM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 998776
Item #: N82E16820226100

HDDx2 raid0 (storage + scratch 'for now'): SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 HD204UI 2TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152245

SSDx2 raid0 (os + programs): Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820148348

This is about $2000.00 (without the monitors)

Monitor x2: HP zr24w ($400 each)

Wish me luck. I'll post things when it happens. You guys were the best help i coulda asked for... feel free to jack my threads anytime.

puff.
 
Hey, Frosty,

I may be a little outta date 'cause I have not benched those spinners but ... 5400?

I wouldn't be RAIDing those SSDs, either, unless they found some way to manage TRIM/collection functions, with mobo-RAID ... and also ... mobo RAID is software based ... no great big deal but, that eats into CPU resources ... If you really wanna "FREAK", with fast storage, I would most definitely go with a REVO SLOT DRIVE.

OCZ RevoDrive X2 OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0160 PCI-E 160GB PCI-Express x4 MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227660&cm_re=revodrive-_-20-227-660-_-Product

160GB
Interface Type PCI-Express x4
Features Sustained Write: upto 550 MB/s
4KB Random Write: 100,000 IOPS
Seek Time: 0.1 ms

**********************************************************

Don't know if this link will work ... Try: [Right-Click -> Open new tab]
(If no workie then search newegg on the term: " REVODRIVE "

Home. > Text Search Terms: revodrive (1-14 of 14 Results)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&Description=revodrive&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20


************************************************************

I don't know if capacity is more important ... or speed ... but they have two speeds and you can trade some (little bit of) speed for more capacity ...

... newegg has something like ten choices under $1,000 USD ... Several under $350

******************

... Personally ... *I'd* rather have four Spinpoint F3 1TB drives, than those 2GB drives.

One could even do RAID 0+1 ...

*******************

... Have you seen G-RAIDs ?

http://g-technology.com/products/g-raid.cfm

http://www.amazon.com/G-Technology-External-Firewire-Interfaces-0G00273/dp/B002QID2NG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1293631120&sr=8-2

The main advantages are that it is FULL HARDWARE RAID and does not suck CPU resources or system power or generate heat, in your case.


But what you have will work great ... 'cept I would not (personally), RAID two discreet SSDs (myself).

**********************************

You might be able to eek-by with a 570 ... too ... but 580 is good.

**********************************

No tears, just yet, but I *am* starting to sweat, just a little bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WXq8HY8sSA






 
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for this great series! I am hoping to build my new setup in the next month or so and have learned A LOT from you guys! Who'd of thought a single processor was enough 😉

I will re-read this a couple more times and add to the notes I've already got. Hopefully in a few days I can post my own parts list for review and then push the order button and get ready to generate some heat :)

Good luck to iliya77 and jfklimek (aka puffy) -- I hope your systems are all you hoped for :)

So from me and all the others who have been "hanging out":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FucbvoFFy0

Steve
 

This is probably the funniest axe can do. This threads value just got bumped up a couple notches.
 



Well, "Enough" is definitely a very relative and subjective term ...

Quite obviously, a dual GulfTown xeon with 64GB of expensive parity DRAM would trounce our pethetic little attempts but ... Like I said ... Even a star, hot-shot grad student MUST draw the line, somewhere.

If 3dsMax CPU "only" rendering was the THE DEDICATED PURPOSE, and if the models were HUGE then, you might be able to drag me into a dual socket build ... But, "even" the latest AMD x6Core procs, on a cheap AM3 mobo, with a "fully populated" 8GB of quick DDR3 and a GTX 570 (Plus SSD SLOT DRIVE), could tear thru these renders at a very respectable clip.

... There may be some point, in the "major platform cycle", that a dual proc system will become a "sensible" choice ... I would like to see those dual proc mobos to sport many more moder ports and lots of extra >> PCIe 3.0 << lanes, before I would want to "go there". ... If I am going to pay "the big bucks" for a massively populated compute core ... I want the dam thing to breathe.

... >>>> SSDs ! ... 8-Core Sandys ... CHEAP DDR3 ... and the rapid evolution of gaming GPUs, have collectively changed the game. (sixteen 64 bit threads juiced to 4GHz with 24GB of DDR3 ain't nothing to sneez at ! ... And the SSDs are SO MUCH FASTER THAN SPINNERS !!).

How could I advise a starving 15th grader to invest in an aging behemoth, with so many revolutionary upgrades in the "short-pipe"?

Get what you need to "get by" for a couple of years. Save up. You will be in the cat-bird's seat, in 18 months.

I think much of Illy's quality build will definately survive his daughter's next major upgrade cycle. The case, psu, and SSDs will be viable for a full 5 or 6 years and the GPU can ride shotgun, well past it's role as "the primary".

As it stands ... she can just drop a 16 thread SANDY in there, 18 months, from today, (for a relative pittance) and keep right on cookin' with her original 12GB DDR3 and (prolly) her noctua cooler, as well.
 
I have a question because I am looking at a very similar build, if it were to be redone with the possibility of a i-7 980x would you suggest that or the i-7 950 then an upgrade later on down the road to sandy bridge 6 or 8 core?
 


It depends on the load and the importance/urgency: (do you have time to make sandwiches, during renders?)

But, yeah ... The 950 is the cost-performance "sweet-spot", with diminishing return on investment, above that price-point ... The 950 will clock very well (3.6~4GHz) and a great cooler will prolly pay for it's self, immediately AND (most likely) will be able to sit atop SANDY x8s, when they come down in price.

So ... "sure" ... the current kit can haul logs ... and at this "nexus" of platforms evolution, I (personally) would be looking for a "place holder", to get me thru the next 18 months. ... X58/Socket 1366 *IS* starting to show it's age and PCIe 3.0 bus platforms should be announced (if not released) by Late September ...

... But, even if you decide to ditch your "old" mobo and DRAM, in 24 months, THAT JUST PROVES MY POINT ... AT LEAST YOU WILL NOT BE DITCHING TWO GULFTOWN XEONS AND LOTS OF EXPENSIVE ECC DRAM !!!

... POP for an SSD SLOT DRIVE and **more** ram (even 1333c8 mushkin generic DRAM) because , as Illy noted (and all other benches confirm) ... the faster RAM timings ony shaved like 30 seconds off an eleven minute render ...

... Rule of thumb: ... " *MORE* RAM will make your system much faster than FASTER RAM " .

Hope that helps.

 


You're right again (as usual)

All students listen up! Follow Alvin's advice. DON'T OVERBUILD! Save your money. You only have so much to go around, and whatever you save on your next build, you can put to some other (more important) use.

The i7-950 does an excellent job, and it's not THAT expensive. Try to save as much money as you can. I literally (not exaggerating) have over a dozen computers laying around here that I can't bear to throw out, but what good are they? 386's, 486's, Pentium 1's, Pentium II's. (Well, the Pentium 3's and 4's I'm still using :) ) But the point is, after time, the thing, no matter how expensive it _was_, IS USELESS! I remember when a 486 business system was $4,000. How much is it worth today?

Don't get carried away on what's inside the box. Put your money into at least one really good monitor. That's something that you will use and keep for a LONG time. And whatever software you require. The rest you're gonna be tossing out in two years (unless, shudder, you're a pack rat like me)

There's no sense in waiting around dreaming about some super-killer system that you'll never be able to afford to build while you're cursing your present dog, wasting time, losing productivity, and just generally being frustrated by a machine that a'int up to the task.

I'm not saying to go super cheap. For instance, I'm SO glad I followed Alvin's advice and stuck the SSD in there for the C: drive. I don't regret the Noctua cooler, etc, etc.

Spend enough to do the job. The whole point of a new system is to speed things up. It's going to cost something. Just be wary of overspending. Remember the law of diminishing returns!
 
I plan on pretty much attempting to copy the build, considering I was planning on getting the 980x I would love to save the money for it. I already purchased the dell u2410. With the case did the 922 end up working out or would you suggest another one?
 



Yup ... The Noctua is EEEEEEEEEE-Normous . (really).

It's a "full build" and more flow is required just to take the srtrain off of (all) the various fans (less static impedence) ... and also to encourage turbulence, convection, etc.

... but, you COULD do a moderate X-58 build, for conservative OC, using a hyper212+ cooler, and cram it into a 922, without much "protest".

It's kinda like building a Micro-ATX power-mini-tower ... jus' a lil bit tight, in there.

 


The 922 case would be fine with a smaller cooler. Actually, the Noctua does fit in the 922, but it is cramped. The ultimate case in my opinion (ultimate in the sense of value) is the HAF 932. It is really the perfect size for the system we built. It has PLENTY of fans and ventilation! And although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I just think it looks really, really cool.

Of course a computer is just a tool. And a tool is there to do a job. So how it looks shouldn't really be of too much concern, but nevertheless, if you can get it to look good at the same time, all the better.

The 932 is heavy, however. Our completed unit weighed 45.6 lbs. If you don't use the Noctua cooler, then I suspect the 922 would be fine, and more portable also. The other thing about the Noctua, you need to consult their website for RAM compatibility.

The U2410 is a nice monitor. For the money, I think you made a good choice there.

As far as performance, all I know is what my daughter said about it. She said she has never seen ANY computer run 3ds Max as fast as this one. That's coming from a 5th year student who has seen an awful lot of other kid's systems, not to mention all the school's machines. So that tells me the i7-950 is adequate.

If you can swing it, I'd go with the Noctua cooler and the 932 case, especially if it's not going to get moved around much. If you need to save some money, then Alvin's recommendation of the Hyper212+, maybe a cheaper power supply and perhaps a different case, all would do a fine job I'm sure. Just make sure you get the SSD!



 
Sounds good, I'm planning on leaving it in my studio as well, I'm gonna go with the 932 and the noctua and a SSD.

I'm going to purchase the parts today.

I do really like the U2410 so far.

Have you had any success theft proofing the system?
 
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