braddewald Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 I have a workstation and a small render farm and am looking to get a new machine to host renders so I can simultaneously work on other projects. I'm thinking of repurposing my current machine to do that task and purchasing a slightly upgraded version of my current system (which has an i7, 16GB RAM, modest GPU). My question is -- every off-the-shelf PC I see now in stores has Windows 8. Is it going to screw anything up with my networking (Vray DR) setup? I don't have time to build my own PC or else this would be a non-issue. Do I need to limit my search to computers with Windows 7? I'm currently running Max 2013 and Vray, but will probably upgrade to 2014 in a few months once Vray comes out with an update and all the kinks get worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easy3dsource Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Windows 8 is still obviously quite young, and typically, most people doing high end computing (such as visualization) tend to wait a while before upgrading, just to make sure their workflow isn't negatively affected. The unfortunate downside to that is you won't hear many opinions on how well things hold up in windows 8 :/ I'm one of the build-it-yourself types, but putting that aside, I would just check and see what your software vendors are saying about the current state of their drivers. If they seem to have windows 8 drivers running stable, it might still be worth the upgrade, particularly since you mentioned this machine would be used only to host renderings (so reasonably, it wouldn't kill your workflow if it had a hiccup here or there). If you absolutely can't take the chance of potential bugs, stick with windows 7, at least for the next year or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris MacDonald Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 My girlfriend, sister and several colleagues that have recently joined the company all have Windows 8. It is universally hated amongst them all, and for what it's worth; by me too. Windows 7 is still in my mind the strongest operating system Microsoft have ever put out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Schroeder Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 I'd buy your PC, then pick up a copy of Windows 7 and just re-format it. It's always a good idea to format any PC you buy off the shelf just to get rid of the bloat-ware that is installed on them. You should still be able to pick up a copy of Windows 7 Pro in any store or online. You can mix and match OS's when network rendering, however it's always a good idea to keep everything on the same OS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy L Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 I was dead excited when I got a new laptop. I barely use it just because I absolutely hate W8. ^Good advice from Scott^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andstef Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I'm running max 2013 and vray on a pc with Windows 8 (64) - I am absolutely sure when I say it is better than windows 7, and there are a lot of improvements. No bugs, no crashes. (I think most people don't like windows 8 just because it's trendy and cool to hate everything microsoft releases) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris MacDonald Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) (I think most people don't like windows 8 just because it's trendy and cool to hate everything microsoft releases) Perhaps, but that is certainly not the case with me. I do in general like Microsoft products (Windows 7 is brilliant!), but I do think windows 8 is another "Vista". I find the lack of start menu intensely frustrating, the metro start screen simply isn't a patch on the start menu. The fact of the matter is that windows 8 appears to have been designed from the ground up with tablets in mind and done away entirely with desktop PC's; you know, those things people use to actually do work instead of **** about looking at facebook. Edited May 10, 2013 by Macker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Wienerroither Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 (I think most people don't like windows 8 just because it's trendy and cool to hate everything microsoft releases) BS - i love windows 8 internas but hate the enforced metro bullshit. Sure i use classic shell, but metro still gets into your way from time to time.. Thus i use Windows 7 on my work horses. Windows 8 only where it's a requirement ( store app/WP8 development ) The OS core itself ( OS = how the thing runs internally, not what cool "apps" you get with it or what's button name got changed or menu got moved, nor what app got ribbon nonsense infected), is a subtile improvement over the Windows 7 core, but nothing groundbreaking. Windows 7 by itself is already an outstanding great OS, no need to swallow and get hindered by all this Metro BS when you got work to complete... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andstef Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I do actually work on my pc with windows 8 ; I go to the start menu about once per day (to acces outlook, which isn't yet pinned to the taskbar), that is why it doesn't bother me, all the programs I work with have shortcuts on desktop and taskbar. I use autocad, some adobe products, and max. While I use these programs, I don't need to go to the start menu (why would one do that??), and It is with these programs performance that I see improvement. And I don't go to the start menu when I use facebook, my browser is pinned to the taskbar Almost all the complain is about the start menu - but (for me) the start menu plays such an insignificant role in what I do with my computer, I'm more inclined to look at performance aspects, and how programs that are important for my work handle. I don't think the start menu was ever an instrument of productivity, it just remained unchanged for decades, and now it's redesigned (and everybody looses their minds ) Just my opinion based on my experience so far, I'm not trying to say that others are wrong because they have other opinion (maybe their experience was different at some point). A question was asked, and I gave my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 ^Good advice from Scott^ He's like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
braddewald Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 I'd buy your PC, then pick up a copy of Windows 7 and just re-format it. I would but it seems like a complicated ordeal. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417359,00.asp. Is any of the stuff in this article true? I'd just hate to drop some money on a new system and Win 7 Pro only to have all my drivers not work. I'm also not a pro at messing with the BIOS and anything registry-related worries me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Schroeder Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Unless you are using some seriously rare hardware, Windows 7 comes pre-loaded with just about all of the major drivers or at least give you enough core functionality for get your system up. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would highly doubt that store bought PC's are not going to come with Windows 8 only hardware components. I'm sure they just took a Windows 7 machine and put 8 on it before it gets to the shelf. Now enabling the boot function in 8 seems like such a dumb move by Microsoft. However, it seems simple enough if you follow the guide. Me thinks PC mag doesn't want to make it seem too simple so most folks get scared and stick with 8 even though they may not like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beestee Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Wacom and Windows 8 play nice now... http://www.wacom.com/feeldriver I have no problems with Windows 8 personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameswelch Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Yeah, windows 8 works fine for me, I actually quite like it and don't even miss the start menu. Could just be me though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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