Xeon 8core or 2x XEON 6core CPU - which one ist faster?

[bdfd]

On my i7 4GHz 4 cores/8 threads running on an iMac, Christmas lights scene was rendered in 2'40".

Record broken ! 2'26" [:))]

Core i7-4790 - RAM 16 Go - GC : GeForce GTX770 2 Go (Dx12) on PC

But without knowing the initial conditions... [X-(]

Here are mine:
a christmas tree posed as outside on a textured floor and a textured sky.
A photo rendering (800x600 in Q4) as showed on the picture ...


Is it this ?

[rennmoehre]

This is the file:
http://www.sweethome3d.com/blog/files/C ... ights.sh3d
position unchanged
Render Size 400x225 in Q4
lens: default
date and time unchanged
without(!) ceiling lights

[bdfd]

Thanks rennmoehre. [:)]

With the file the result has changed and the record has not broken (2'55"). [:(]

See screenshot below.



Back to your question, I think if you can test these 2 machines, do not hesitate, do it !
You'll get the result immediately.

[mazoola]

I'll stake out the slow end of the spectrum with 14:34.8 min.

E6850 Core 2 Duo @ 3.00 Ghz, 2 cores, 2 threads, 3 GB RAM.

You see why it appeared your time of 6 minutes for an empty room seemed unnaturally high to me? [;)]

[rennmoehre]

Okay thanks. I'll try the 2x 6core workstation. I think ~1min could be possible. I looks like the time has a linear correlation to the clock speed and the number of the threads is a multiplier.

E6850 Core 2 Duo @ 3.00 Ghz, 2 cores, 2 threads
time 14:35min
calculated time @3GHz, 4 threads: 7:18min

Core i7-4790 @ 3.6GHz, 4 cores, 8 threads
time 2:55min
calculated time @ 3GHz, 4 threads: 6:40min

core i7 @ 4GHz 4 cores, 8 threads
time 2:40 min
calculated time @3GHz, 4 threads: 6:46min

core i3-560 @3.3GHz 2 cores, 4 threads
time 7:30min
calculated time@3GHz 4 threads: 8:15min


If we had more data, the calculated time could more precise but it is good enough to answer my question [;)]

[mirakels]

can't the grahics card be used to do (part of) the calculations to speed things up?

[mazoola]

can't the grahics card be used to do (part of) the calculations to speed things up?

Unfortunately, the SunFlow rendering engine is not written to take advantage of GPU processing (if available). What's more, to date one cannot simply set a flag that says "use GPU" and have Java generate optimized code; instead, specific functions and routines most suitable for acceleration have to be identified, packaged for each of the two leading GPU libraries, handed to the GPU, executed, the results passed back to the main routines to be integrated with other data, and so on.

A while back, I glanced at some articles on potential improvements in ray tracing throughput from GPU processing, and they all said the same thing: Ray tracing, thanks to certain integral characteristics, is more resistant to reaping much improvement from GPU acceleration than other rendering methods. Before looking to the GPU for performance improvements, one should ensure the non-GPU code is as tight as can be,

[rennmoehre]

The "new" 2x hexacore (Xeon X5670) workstation arrived today. I'm a bit disappointed with the rendering time of 3:05min.
There is nothing on this machine, only Win7Pro, Firefox and sweethome3D, no antivirus or other backgroud porcesses.
An update to the latest java has not improved the time.
Could Linux speed up the java rendering?

[rennmoehre]

sorry for the double post, but with the "Create photo with renderer" plugin the rendering uses smaller tiles, this means the processor load does not drop after each completed part of the pictures I have a time of 1:48min - thats better but not fast enough

[Miker777]

hi rennmoehre
i did not see any test results for an i5 processor, so i thought you might like to see the result to help prove/disprove your theory
Acer x3990 (midi system)
intel core I5 processor 2310
4gb ddrs 3 memory
None of that actually means anything to me, its just a black box that performs magic.



4min46

Mike