A Setup For Rendering 3d Simulations - 2012

Lyonz · 28 Nov 2011 at 22:59

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

fowler002 · 28 Nov 2011 at 23:08

your mbs max support of 8gb so 16gb+ is out, you'll need to upgrade for that.

for your needs you're looking at either the i2600k/i2700k sandybridge or the new sb-e but that is cpu alone cost £500+ before you take into account ram, mb and cooler(cpu doesn't come with a cooler). currently sandybridge is I believe 32gb(4x 8gb), sb-e is 64gb(2 kits of the 32gb as no 8x8gb kits).

whats your current psu(make/model)?

95thrifles · 28 Nov 2011 at 23:24

Yep, as such this would prob be your best upgrade, if you can afford to splash out that much, upgrading core components. IMO theres not much point spending money on your current set up in an effort to upgrade, time to start again Im afraid

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £249.98
1 x MSI Z68A-G43-G3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £86.58
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual/Quad Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX) £79.99
1 x Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £25.99
Total : £453.95 (includes shipping : £9.50).

stulid · 28 Nov 2011 at 23:27

Perhaps someone should ask him if any of his drives are SATA?

95thrifles · 28 Nov 2011 at 23:29

I'd assume with a 7200rpm spindle speed they will be, but you know what they say about assumptions

stulid · 28 Nov 2011 at 23:32

I was think optical drives also.

Lyonz · 29 Nov 2011 at 10:27

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

Reaper 392 · 29 Nov 2011 at 10:34

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

a quick google doesnt come up with much. probably best to ask on the forums of that houdini program, because i doubt that many people use it over here

Lyonz · 29 Nov 2011 at 10:49

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

sidethink · 29 Nov 2011 at 12:30

Lyonz said:
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

The very next line in the spec from their website is very telling though:

"Non-workstation cards, such as GeForce and Radeon, can be used at your own risk. They may be used for learning and personal use but they are not supported as you may experience display problems"

I'd budget for a Quadro first, a modern CPU (at least 2500k), 8GB of RAM and decent SATA hard disks.

The full spec from their website is fairly comprehensive:

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=415&Itemid=269

Lyonz · 29 Nov 2011 at 14:04

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