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Anybody using a Mac Pro Quad core or Eight core


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Hi

 

Is anybody using a Mac Pro quad core or Eight core machine with 3DS Max and Vray ? (Bootcamped Windows XP)

If so, what kind of results are you getting ?

Can Vray & Max really benefit from all those processors ? Or are there hardware/software issues that create performance limitations ?

 

I'm tempted to get one of those Macs :)

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I'm trying to get a Quad core mac set up as a render node now :) but I dont know what I'm doing :(

 

So if you can tell me how to set up a render node, as soon as its working I'll let you know how it compares to my pc :D

 

The office here is full of macs (100 ish :eek: ), many are quad cores so the sooner I can get this sorted the better.

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Step 1: Cut a hole in a box.

 

Or just install Windows.

 

Step 2: Hold down Option when booting and switch to Windows.

 

Step 3: Install Max and Vray and do render node configuration as per the Max and Vray instructions.

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I have a contact at another firm here in town who just got an 8 core mac. Said it's slick fast and he loves it. They had 4 renderboxx's for a farm that are 3 years old.... he doesn't even use the farm any more because of how fast new 8core mac is. Personally I'd still us the nodes for DR, but I get his point.

 

want more proof check out the render times people are getting out of the 8core mac on this thread over @ vray's forums.

 

http://www.chaosgroup.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17726&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=benchmark&start=0

.... skip ahead to about page 10 you'll see that people are getting a core duo 9 minute render time down to just over a minute with the 8core mac

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I have a contact at another firm here in town who just got an 8 core mac. Said it's slick fast and he loves it. They had 4 renderboxx's for a farm that are 3 years old.... he doesn't even use the farm any more because of how fast new 8core mac is. Personally I'd still us the nodes for DR, but I get his point.

 

want more proof check out the render times people are getting out of the 8core mac on this thread over @ vray's forums.

 

http://www.chaosgroup.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17726&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=benchmark&start=0

.... skip ahead to about page 10 you'll see that people are getting a core duo 9 minute render time down to just over a minute with the 8core mac

 

I gotta get me one of those

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I heard rumour of a quad quad xeon pc.......anyone got something to substantiate?

I also heard the price of the quad xeons comes down at the end of July, can anyone back that up with anything?

 

Sure you weren't hearing about boxx's apex line? the big one has 16 cores and can handle 128 gig's of ram. It's not a quad - quad system though.... it has 8 duals inside....

 

http://www.boxxtech.com/Products/APEXX/apexx8_overview.asp

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I also heard the price of the quad xeons comes down at the end of July, can anyone back that up with anything?

 

In the little research I've done with current processors, I've seen that price drop mentioned a quite a few places. I think it has to do with their upcoming release of the quad 3.0 xeon, and the quad 2.93 core 2 coming out at the same time.

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From what I can see in the thread at:

 

http://www.chaosgroup.com/forum/phpB...chmark&start=0

 

it looks like any machine with a Dual Quad core Xeon (therefore 8 cores) and at least 4GB RAM is good option.

But I also notice that software has an influence - people are getting better results when their software is optimised for 64bit - Win XP + MAX 9 + VRAY 1.5RC3 (All 64 bit.)

So be prepared to upgrade your software at the same time

 

Still - that Mac Pro looks sexy ;)

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Our studio has 4 right now, as BKitts mentioned. They are sexy......each core is as fast as one of our boxx servers. Getting IT to switch to 64-bit is a bit of a battle. We ordered them with 4gigs of Ram just in case.

What used to take 60min on our Dual Xeon 2.6 Dell now takes 6min. :cool:

However, not all cores get used all the time.

 

8-core MacPro 3.0Ghz

Radeon X1900 512mg video

4 gigs Ram /3gig switch

Windows XP

Max 9

 

Pros.....wicked fast when rendering, best $/Ghz

 

 

Cons.....Videocard glitches with X1900, deadlines seemed to have gotten shorter....projects are bigger...:confused:

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I heard rumour of a quad quad xeon pc.......anyone got something to substantiate?

I also heard the price of the quad xeons comes down at the end of July, can anyone back that up with anything?

 

hey, I just found this:

http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/6800/

 

I'm still waiting to build either a top of the line 3.0 dual quad when they are released in august, or take advantage of the drop in the 2.66 price and perhaps build 2 dual-quad nodes for just slightly more than one 3.0 dual quad node.

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