A Setup For Rendering 3d Simulations - 2012

[Lyonz]

Hi all,

Im looking to upgrade my machine and would like to ask some advice. This is my current setup:

CPU = Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 - Was Overclocked
Motherboard = Abit IP35v
Case = ANTEC 900
GPU = Nvidia Geforce 8800 GTS 512
OS = Windows 7 Pro
Ram = x4 1gb DDR2 Corsair 240pin 800mhz
Cooler = Freezer Pro 7
HDD = WD 7200rpm

1. Is there any performance benefits from having two video cards ? As i will be using Houdini and am told it is GPU based.

2. What are the best motherboards available for my CPU ? As im looking to upgrade the ram to either 16gb or 24gb to increase rendering speed, can my cpu handle this amount ?

3. Is DDR3 ram better than DDR2 as the latency is higher and does more mhz mean its faster ?

4. Is it worth upgrading using the Q6600 or is it as cheap to buy a new cpu in a bundle ? Looking for the fast rendering speeds as i will be rendering millions of particles.

If anyone can suggest setups for £100 - £200 / £200 - £300 /£300 - £500 / £500 +

Cheers

David

 

[Lyonz]

Hi I bought my machine from overclockers 4 years ago and recently upgraded the HDD so its a SATA.

I am aware that i will need to get a new motherboard but wanted to save where ever i could thats why i was thinking of keeping the CPU i have atm.

Im guessing for each CPU i would need a new cooler ? And am still wondering if 2 graphics cards have any performance benefits ?

Also what do you think is the best make of ram as atm im using corsair and heard they are the most stable. Is it a good move to get 8gb ram sticks for later upgrade ?

Cheers For The Replys

David

 

[Lyonz]

I have looked on the sidefx forum for Houdini and the only thing important mentioned is:

Workstation-class OpenGL graphics card, such as NVidia Quadro and ATI Fire Pro, are required for professional use in production.

Basically im wanting a rendering machine for 3d in general as i will be using realflow as well for fluid dynamics. So a Quadro is not that important to for overall work.

Cheers

David

 

[Lyonz]

True it says about using a Quadro but i have had no problems for years on any of the geforce graphics card + Quadro costs a lot more. Does having 2 graphics cards only help realtime playback or does it help in another area such as rendering ?

So would it be cheaper to buy a prebuilt machine as it looks like i need new everything.

Cheers

David