i7 Processors..any good ?

[stevesideas]

Ive ordered 2 new systems with the i7-920 cpu..cant wait.

[simmsimaging]

Just in the process of researching new machines for a DR render farm. I'm looking at i7 920 machines versus Xeon 5430 (x2) machines. The Xeon's are roughly 1.65X more expensive but looking at the bench tests done with Maxwell (not the same as Vray, but a pretty good horsepower gauge I think) I see a general speed difference of maybe 10%. Does that seem about right to the experts? 1.65X the cost for 1.1 more power?

(also, just remembered that is for a only 8GB of RAM on the Xeon box and 12GB on the i7 box as well. It's just the way I had to go due to the configurations possible).

I'm pretty clueless about hardware so I am not sure if that is a good read on things or not, but I'm leaning harder towards those i7's atm

b

[UnAion]

I got a i7-940 waiting in the post office right now, anxious to see how it performs.
I haven't been that active on the forum lately and don't know how much activity there has been on the benchmark thread, but it would be interesting to see some results with i7.

[cecofuli]

Just to report our experience:

Our Benckmark scene. This is the scene file

Dualxeon Quadcore E5440 2.83 Ghz - 8 GB RAM - Temp 60°C - About 2.500 euro last year.
(*). XP64 - 3dsmax2009 64bit - SP2 - 17min 45 sec



----------------------------------------------------------

i7 920 2.66Ghz -> 4 Ghz Liquid coole home made - 6 GB RAM - Temp: 61°C - 1.300 euro
(*). XP64 - 3dsmax2009 64bit - SP2 - 15min 17 sec
But in Daily to 3.9 Ghz 15min 44 sec



This is the machine:

[Morbid Angel]

I would say...the comparison is between two different vray version. There could be slight differences in the sampling speed etc. I could be wrong though.
What would be better is to test it in identical vrays/max...and just recreate the scene from scratch.

[cecofuli]

Hi Morbid,
yes. My assembler don't have a VRay Full version. He used a 3ds max Demo + VRay Demo. Soon I think I test it with my VRay License. This is the first test. Anyway, This CPU are very, very good .

[Morbid Angel]

Hi Morbid,
yes. My assembler don't have a VRay Full version. He used a 3ds max Demo + VRay Demo. Soon I think I test it with my VRay License. This is the first test. Anyway, This CPU are very, very good .

its odd that you only have a couple of minutes in difference. I would expect it to be much faster then that...

[cecofuli]

The Xeon is two CPU quadcore at 2.83 Ghz (8 buckets) so 8 CORE. The i7 only one CPU in OC to 4.0 Ghz this Hyperthread (buchets too), but only 4 Physical CORE.
In my opinion, this CPU can be overclocked very well. Next month Intel will sell the i7 Xeon version, but the 2.66 Ghz is very expensive. The 3.2 Ghz will be $1600 for each CPU... O_O'

[Morbid Angel]

The Xeon is two CPU quadcore at 2.83 Ghz (8 buckets) so 8 CORE. The i7 only one CPU in OC to 4.0 Ghz this Hyperthread (buchets too), but only 4 Physical CORE.
In my opinion, this CPU can be overclocked very well. Next month Intel will sell the i7 Xeon version, but the 2.66 Ghz is very expensive. The 3.2 Ghz will be $1600 for each CPU... O_O'

oh i see, that makes sence...so basically 4 cores as faster then 8

[cecofuli]

... or are very, very similar. But the i7 is in OC to 4.0Ghz with liquid cooler. With good air system I see, max 3.2Ghz , 3.4Ghz. And, this CPU is very, very hot!!!

[peterguthrie]

nicely predicted cecofuli, I've had my i7 920 at 3.4ghz for about a week now (air cooled), no problems so far.

[beestee]

I am running my i7 920 on air with good temps at 3.3ghz for about 3 weeks now. Idle @ 39C, full load and heat soak @ 70C. Having trouble getting a VRay dongle from work for render testing.

[cecofuli]

mmm... 70°C it's too much in my opinion. Max for daily use, v1.3 and 64°C max temp.

[cecofuli]

I have the machine. Result with the same VRay version SP2 Original with dongle ( no DEMO). The time is THE SAME! O_O' and my Xeon is in OC from 2.83 to 3.25 Ghz!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR: cecofuli

MACHINE: papafoxtrot i7 920

Software: 3ds max 2009 - 64bit

Renderer: VRay 1.5 SP2

RAM: 6 GB

CPU TEMP : 63

CPU THREAD : 8

CPU: i7 920 2.66 @ 3.8

RENDETIME: 15m 32 sec
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR: cecofuli

MACHINE: DualXeon

Software: 3ds max 2009 - 64bit

Renderer: VRay 1.5 SP2

RAM: 8 GB

CPU TEMP : 62

CPU THREAD : 8

CPU: DualXeon Quadcore E5440 2.83Ghz @ 3.25 Ghz

RENDETIME: 15m 29 sec
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Morbid Angel]

can you test the i7 chip with hyperthreading off?
otherwise it shows 8 cores, but thats not really accurate? since you said there is 4 cores there...