UPDATED BENCHMARK (ITS FASTER I PROMISE)

[vlado]

but why are you only using 4gb ram when you have 8? and why is xp64 bad?

xp64 is not that bad in my experience, if you get over the lack of drivers (I had a hell of a time getting ATI drivers that actually work). However, since 3dsmax 8 itself is a 32-bit application, it can only use up to 4 GB of RAM, no matter what amount of RAM you actually have. Of course, once 3dsmax 9 appears in full 64-bit mode, then it will be able to use all of that (no more memory issues, yay!)

Best regards,
Vlado

[jrandom]

Your rendering looks different too, just look at the teapot, on geoffc's it is very bright and on your rendering it's very dark. and as long as the renderings isn't 100% identical you can't really compare the rendertimes.

All I did was render the scene file provided (cornelltestnew 1.5.max) with no tweaks becuase that is what I assumed everyone was doing.
That is intersting tho that it happens to be darker than most all of the other renders, hmm? will have to look into that. It may be a different file I got if two pages back. It was the 1.5 version and not the original 1.47 version.

but why are you only using 4gb ram when you have 8? and why is xp64 bad?

/Thomas

As Vlado said any 32-bit app will only support 4gb. I got the extra 4 due to the fact it wwould be alot cheaper to get it at point-of-purchase than to install it later. (that 4 extra gig only cost me $175)

As for xp64 there are a few things that drive me nuts about it.

1. lack of drivers (this is understandable)
2. software installations have been spotty (not all but enough to drive you a little whacky) For instance when trying to use adobe updater not all updates will install, some other installations have just hung completely.
This machine is is fairly clean too, I've got a total of 6 applications (3dsmax+adobe production studio) plus your basics. Oh by the way you can't install the latest Quicktime, just doesn't work you've got to rollback to 7.0.4.
3. nvidia's desktop management software is way flakey under xp64, or at least my experiences with it to date. The drivers themselves are working rock solid.

I think it mostly has to to with growing pains of switching everything over to 64-bit and hopefully will be ironed out soon.
The simpler the better at this point...

[dlparisi]

jrandom: it looks like your rendering the updated 1.5 scene from Paul O. (on pg. 20). I think a better one may be the one a little further down the page from askhamdesign as this seems to match the one that geoff used. You can get it here... http://www.supercreative.co.uk/vray/...estnew_1_5.zip

I think we need to get a version # in the scene so we're comparing apples to apples.

[jrandom]

I agree...

many thanks for the link

[TutanMark]

Of course, once 3dsmax 9 appears in full 64-bit mode, then it will be able to use all of that (no more memory issues, yay!)

"No more memory issues"... i've heard these words many times since 1984....

But... sometimes someone will break the limit.... and fight starts again...

[jacksc02]

wait until you see it mark..... its a beautiful thing..........

[Erik N]

For instance when trying to use adobe updater not all updates will install, some other installations have just hung completely.
This machine is is fairly clean too, I've got a total of 6 applications (3dsmax+adobe production studio) plus your basics. Oh by the way you can't install the latest Quicktime, just doesn't work you've got to rollback to 7.0.4.

For Adobe products there is a problem with the path specification in the installer, for some reason it has trouble with the ProgramFiles(x86) folder name. That's all.

As for Qicktime, there is an incompliance with Windows Update KB908531. Uninstall this update and quicktime will work just fine. (Might want to check on this first, though: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../MS06-015.mspx)

[jacksc02]

yeah we run a full xp64 studio and its great. No drivers issues, no adobe issues. Everything works a treat (even max 9) but dont tell anyone!

[jrandom]

For Adobe products there is a problem with the path specification in the installer, for some reason it has trouble with the ProgramFiles(x86) folder name. That's all.

Not the issue, the issue is with adobe updater not installing adobe products.
The updater is automated and some updates do not allow you choose choose the installation paths.

As for Qicktime, there is an incompliance with Windows Update KB908531. Uninstall this update and quicktime will work just fine. (Might want to check on this first, though: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../MS06-015.mspx)

Thanks, I did find that, and well my current place of employement requires we have all windows security updates. I dont have any problems myself rolling back a point release. In fact I would use quicktime 4 for all I really care :P just some people have to have their .mov's

yeah we run a full xp64 studio and its great. No drivers issues, no adobe issues. Everything works a treat (even max 9) but dont tell anyone!

ohhh the envy ...heh, I just fired up PhotoChop and got a "Tablet Version Mismatch: please reinstall drivers" error... the irony...

Updated scene: This is the scene rendered from a couple of posts back, thanks dlparisi

[paulison]

Im looking at a cheap upgrade to an old P4 and was considering a core duo 2 E6600.

Im wondering if it is still worth getting a complete new system dual opteron 265 or just to do the core duo2 processor upgrade....would save me heaps of money!

Anyway, speed comparison between these two setups would be very helpfull if anyone can provide them. If the dual opteron isnt MUCH faster ill just go for the core duo 2 option.

Thanks!

[jacksc02]

can you fit an E6600 in a p4?

[paulison]

im not sure...i cent find any information about it anywhere but remember someone saying it was possible a while back on certain motherboards. Its the same socket i beleive.

i guess if it doesnt work it means a new m/b and CPU :/

[DaForce]

A new mobo at a few hundred $'s at most isnt all that much.

I dont know if you will get the same performance sticking it in an old p4 mobo tho. I dont know how the memory bandwidth is handled in the new board but im sure there must be some changes.

You would want to be positive that it works well before going ahead with it.

[aaron-cds]

I'm not sure if it matters or not, but I noticed a slight difference with the 1.5 version. I checked the sub-sample box in the color mapping section. My render time was a few seconds slower than the test I did with 1.46.15.


[/img]

[Adam H. Stewart]

Dual Core Dual woodcrest, 2.66, 4 gig of Ram, Max 8, Xp Pro



I have lost track of how many machines have been posted - maybe somebody has already done this one. It is a Bell computers machine ( local California reseller) came with 2 x 300 gig drives, a 10K System drive, Nvidia FX3500, and DVD burner for $5K - another $500 for Arnold because I was I bought within the state.