12GB RAM not being used

[Dave Buckley]

I have 2 machines with 12GB of RAM, they are brand new. I've managed to get them both working on a network render. However, neither machine is using any more than 2GB of RAM.

 

I'm guessing that if i can get them both to use 12GB of RAM then my render speeds will increase 8x or have i misinterpreted this?

 

And why are they only using 2GB.

 

I'm also looking into hyperthreading. Is this advisable for use with Max Design 2010

[visualizedconcepts]

you are using 64-bit windows and max ?

 

if not, each process is limited to 2GB. There is a 3GB switch,

that allows just that - but without 64 bit additional RAM only helps

for using multiple applications parallel - not speeding up the rendering.

 

8x speed increase is also very unlikely. It all depends on how

much RAM your scene needs. Your scene might only need 2GB

in the first place - more RAM would not do anything.

 

TB

[BOXXLABS]

In theory, RAM capacity has no impact on rendering speed.

 

In practice, as long as your rendering engine has all the RAM that it is requesting, then your system is rendering at maximum speed.

 

In other words, you can't speed up your system by adding RAM unless it's already using all that it has.

 

I assure you that if you use lots of displacement maps, huge textures, very high poly count scenes, high sampling values, etc then your memory useage will rise during renders.

 

**Edit** right, I am assuming you are using a 64bit OS and a 64bit version of 3DSMAX. Otherwise, all bets are off.

 

 

Adam

BOXXlabs

Edited August 17, 2009 by BOXXLABS

[Dave Buckley]

yep 64-bit max, 64-bit os, 64-bit everything

 

so to increase speed on my renders i need . . .

 

its just strange because the renders were bombing out on the old system which had 4gb of ram with 3g switch enabled

[F J]

I have 2 machines with 12GB of RAM, they are brand new. I've managed to get them both working on a network render. However, neither machine is using any more than 2GB of RAM.

 

well, how much was the same scene using on ur old system?

a scene will only use as much RAM as it needs, independently of how much ur system has to offer..

 

so to increase speed on my renders i need . . .

 

overclock ur CPU's or get better ones..

 

I'm also looking into hyperthreading. Is this advisable for use with Max Design 2010

 

yes it is..

for instance, on an i7 CPU it can add up to 30% performance for multi-core tasks..

[rygoody]

If you want to test. Fill up mental ray with xfrog tree instances. It will use up the ram pretty quick.