I need to purchase a second computer to handle renders. I create models and renders for design students, and make enough so that somewhere between 1 and two jobs will pay for a computer. My problem is that I have (2) 250 frame, 10 second animations to render (30 hours each on my current quad core machine), and (6) static renders to complete (12 hours each). That’s about 130 hours of paid-for rendering to complete, during which I can only use my computer for email and internet. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I’ve got CAD drawings and 3d renders to produce for my business, which makes me more money than the 3d rendering side business. Safe to say, I need computer #2.
Any advice? I know next to nothing about hardware. I assume I need a number cruncher - lots of processor power, and several cores. I’d like to spend $800 or less. Windows. Not ready to set up Linux etc.
Here’s my site, if anyone is interested. Remember, I’m modeling student’s designs (which I usually clean up), with pretty strict rendering restrictions - I don’t have a ton of say with the renders. I make suggestions etc, but if my client says “Bright white BG, no reflections”, then that’s what I have to provide.
Sounds like you just need a tower with a really good cooling system. I’d go with a Sony then. The intel i7 should dish out sweet speeds and you should be able to get one for less than eight hundred bunks. I have never used an ADM so I have no idea how they compare. Just say the word and I’ll try to link you with a machine.
Build your own, you’ll save probably 25-40% or so depending on deals and promotions. Check out Newegg.com. It’s a lot easier than it sounds after a quick google search. Bang for your buck is definitely going to some in the form of a i7 2600k processor.
Buy Phenom2 X6 1090T BE and crank it up to 3.5 - 4 GHz, it´s easy as pie. You get two of them what a Ci7 2600k costs and they are fast for rendering.
Buy a Ci7-2600k, crank it up to 4-5 GHz it is a rocket, but comes with a bigger pricetag.
Wait just a little bit longer, Intels hexacores are on the move and AMDs Bulldozer might hit the market soon after the long delay. I guess it will rattle the market quite a bit, shift prices and overthrow benchmarks.
Personally, as pure renderslave I´d buy cheaper but masses.
1500-2000W PSU or redundant psu, or sperate PSUs if you are afraid of leakage current ~ 150 Euro
3 AM3 mainboards with onboard graphics ~ 200 Euro
3 1090T BE - 360 Euro
3* 8 GB DDR3 ~ 100 Euro
Some cooling, a HDD to run a virtualization to boot the machines and other tiny parts ~ 200 Euro
I´d simply stack the mainboards on threaded bars fixed with nuts.
1000 Euro for if you OC good, 72 GHz/hour renderpower.
Alternative would be to get an old HP Powerblade or something like that on ebay.
You get 50-80GHz in dual dualcore xeons with memory and psu often for 600-1000 euro.
If you got an empty machine that just needs infrastructure, a Phenom2x6 renderslave is build for ~250 Euro.
Thanks all the same, arexma, but I don’t have any idea what you are saying. I’m a little slow when it comes to technical things. It’s sounds like good advice, but I can’t build a computer - it’s just not realistic for me at the moment. Can anyone dumb it down a bit? Perhaps just recommending a manufacturer/model? I’ve got way too much going on right now to learn to build a computer. I’m sure I’d save money, but…Thanks! I mean it. It sounds great - like I could get my 12 hour renders down to 2 hours. I’ll show this to my girl, she will probably understand more of it than I did…