i7 vs Dual Quad Core Xeon?

[Tim in Hollywood]

Hi,

 

It's time to get a new system for MAX2009 and V-Ray.

 

I've done numerous searches here, on other forums, toms hardware, and Google, but was unable to find anything that really compares the two options head-to-head for Max/V-Ray.

 

The system will be outfitted with all components as identical as possible, running on XP Pro 32-bit. Because my scenes are not super-large (typically 5,000-20,000 polys), I probably don't need a system that can handle massive amounts of RAM, thus the lack of interest in 64-bit XP Pro. I also want maximum compatibility with other software and hardware.

 

 

Disregarding price, what will be faster for V-Ray rendering (assuming similar clock speeds and NOT overclocked)?

 

DUAL Quad Core Intel Xeon Processor E54XX

- or -

Intel Core i7 Processor

 

Any help or advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Tim

[Macer]

Personally I'd look at a dual quad Xeon 55xx setup. (performance should be similar to 2 i7's).

[Tim in Hollywood]

Hi Macer,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Any way to learn how much of a render time improvement the dual Xeon 55XX would be relative to a 54XX system?

 

I did some quick searches, but was unable to find anything concrete. The sticky link at the top doesn't reference these processors.

 

Thanks,

Tim

[Spooner04]

This is probably your best bet for any kind of rendering benchmarks.

 

http://www.3dspeedmachine.com/?page=3

[Macer]

Xeon 55xx are (in basic terms) based on the same architecture as the core i7 and the Xeon 54xx series are based on the core 2 quad range. Therefore you should expect a similar gain going from 54xx to 55xx as you would get going from a core 2 quad to a core i7.

 

I think for 3ds max this averages in the region of 30%, clock for clock. This is all a bit simplified, but gives you an idea of the improvements made to the newer chips.

[Tommy L]

I wouldnt be so quick to dismiss XP64. Or any 64bit OS for that matter. Ive only noticed one difference between xp32/64......64 is way better.

[AJLynn]

So, you'll find it's possible to make a dual-quad Xeon 54xx system that's got more total CPU power than a single i7 and therefore renders faster; however, the difference isn't enormous ad the i7 has the speed advantage when doing anything that doesn't multitask as well as Vray, and it is better in price/performance terms.

[Mr Max]

This is probably your best bet for any kind of rendering benchmarks.

 

http://www.3dspeedmachine.com/?page=3

 

 

Hi Spooner,

I viewed the website and I since I'm also interested in buying a core 7i, it was a big help for me.

The only thing I didn't understand in their test setting is enabling and disabling "overclocking" & "hyperthreading"! could you please tell me what are those and how to control them?

 

Tim, I'd really recommend using 64x bit windows because it makes a whole lot of difference

[Tim in Hollywood]

Hi all,

 

Based on the recommendations some of you made, I have placed an order for a dual quad-core Xeon E55XX system. It will have 12GB RAM.

 

It's from Dell Outlet. It comes with a Windows Vista Business and Windows XP Pro "downgrade." It does not have XP Pro 64.

 

I want a 64 bit OS. The system will be almost exclusively used for 3ds max + V-Ray, along with some Photoshop.

 

Is my only option for installing a 64-bit OS to simply purchase XP Pro 64 online, or is it essentially included with the 32-bit license?

 

Thanks,

Tim

[AJLynn]

If you wanted XP64 you'd need to buy it separately. Maybe Vista64 would work for you.

[Greg Hess]

So, you'll find it's possible to make a dual-quad Xeon 54xx system that's got more total CPU power than a single i7 and therefore renders faster; however, the difference isn't enormous ad the i7 has the speed advantage when doing anything that doesn't multitask as well as Vray, and it is better in price/performance terms.

 

If you were going to go dual xeon, then go with the newer xeon architecture. This will net you a number of major advantages.

 

1) No need for FB-Dimm's anymore. You can now deal with standard DDR3 dimm's, allowing for cheaper and faster ram configurations.

2) New hardware, means some growth potential. (You can swap in higher core models later in the year, or next year).

3) New memory controller setup/bus allows for incredible scalability over previous generation Xeons.

4) Decreased power consumption. (we're talking 60-75 watt's here, which if building multiple systems can add up! Can you imagine the power savings across a few full racks???)

 

The new Nehalem Xeon's (Basically Core i7 architecture) are designated by a

 

55xx in their model #.

 

Here's an excellent article that goes over the basics.

http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/16656/1

 

IMO, it would be better to go with a single core i7 system, then an older model dual xeon system. Sure the i7 will be a bit slower, but you'll have an upgrade path, and any money you save can be put towards those upgrades...instead of investing in a platform that is reaching the end of its service.

[Logan.W]

Was just checking some prices. IMO this is worth it. =P

http://techreport.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=700790020&mode=techr_checkprice

 

(2.93GHz, 4x256MB, 4.8GT/s QPI, LGA1336 Socket B - MPN: BX80601940) As low as $559.99 from Mwave.com

lol -- how we wish if typo's were real enough.