High end machines

notareal

Go figure http://ark.intel.com/cpu.aspx?groupId=40200
Intel states that it has hyper threading... but perhaps it different. Never seen one of these new zeons in real... yet.

edit:
"Technical compute platforms based on the Intel Xeon processor 5500 series support up to 16 simultaneous threads"
http://download.intel.com/products/processor/xeon/dc55kprodbrief.pdf
They do not advertise it like they have done with i7, but for my understanding it's the same.

edit2: looks like 5500 series only support 1066, 800 DDR3 memory. But That not a huge trade off. One have to look on X5550 if he likes to use 1333 DDR3.

jeff hammond

i'm curious about the new Nehalem processors..

8MB of fully shared L3 cache per processor, which boosts performance by keeping data and instructions in a fast-access cache that is available to all four processor cores.
An integrated memory controller, which allows faster access to data stored in memory by significantly increasing memory bandwidth and reducing memory latency by up to 40%.
Turbo Boost, a dynamic performance technology that automatically speeds up the cores in use when other cores aren’t needed.
Hyper-Threading technology allows two threads to run simultaneously on each processor core, providing eight virtual cores for increased performance.

price wise though, the towers are $3300 for the base configuration (2.26 GHz 8core... add $2600 for 2.93GHz)
[edit] as a quad core 2.66, the prices start at $2500

i know you're not looking at macs pete but i'm just wondering if these processors are similar to the ones you're talking about in the i7.

[EDIT.. ah, nevermind.. they're the same thing:]
The 'Nehalem' architecture behind the Intel Xeon 3500 and 5500 series processors used by the Mac Pro is the same as the chip-maker's Core i7 chips for single processor PC workstations and gaming rigs. This redesigns the system architecture, replacing the front-side bus with the much faster QPI (Quick Path Interconnect), and creating a three-channel pathway between each processor and the RAM that will see the norm being RAM modules used in threes rather than two.
via

solo

Found a better deal:

CAS: Thermaltake Spedo Full Tower 420W Case w/ Side-panel Window
CS_FAN: Default case fans
POWERSUPPLY: 800 Watts Power Supplies (CyberPowerPC XF800S Performance ATX 2.0 Power - Quad SLI Ready)
CPU: Intel� Core� i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366
FAN: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System (Extreme Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
MEMORY: 12GB (2GBx6) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Triple Channel Memory [+150] (Corsair Dominator
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX280 1GB 16X PCI Express [+124] (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA
MULTIVIEW: Non-SLI/CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors
HDD: Single Hard Drive (1TB (1TBx1) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
CD: Lite-On DH-401S 4X Blu-Ray Player
CD2: (Special Price) LG 22X DVD�R/�RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (Black Color)
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard (Black Color)
MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT

$2017.00

remus

Thats an absolute bargain

notareal

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM 
Item #: N82E16827136152
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy




$24.99

1

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM 
Item #: N82E16822152102
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy




$79.99

1

ASUS ENGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

ASUS ENGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail 
Item #: N82E16814121313
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$49.99 Saving



$259.99
$210.00

1

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war - OEM 
Item #: N82E16800999088
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy




$49.99

1

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail 
Item #: N82E16829102006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy




$94.99

1

Antec Signature SG650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Antec Signature SG650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail 
Item #: N82E16817371017
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy

-$20.00 Instant



$199.99
$179.99

1

Logitech Deluxe 250 Black USB Standard Keyboard

Logitech Deluxe 250 Black USB Standard Keyboard - OEM 
Item #: N82E16823126013
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy




$8.99

1

Logitech RX1500 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse

Logitech RX1500 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse - OEM 
Item #: N82E16826104242
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$12.00 Instant



$39.99
$27.99

1

Crucial 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT3KIT25664BA1067

Crucial 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT3KIT25664BA1067 - Retail 
Item #: N82E16820148246
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$10.00 Instant



$83.99
$73.99

1

LITE-ON Black Blu-ray Drive - Bulk with Software SATA Model DH-4O1S-61

LITE-ON Black Blu-ray Drive - Bulk with Software SATA Model DH-4O1S-61 - OEM 
Item #: N82E16827106294
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy




$89.99

2

Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor Model BX80602E5520

Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor Model BX80602E5520 - Retail 
Item #: N82E16819117185
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy




$759.98
($379.99 each)

1

ASUS Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500 ATX Server Motherboard
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

*

      ASUS Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500 ATX Server Motherboard - Retail 
      Item #: N82E16813131378
      Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

*

      Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail 
      Item #: N82E16811129021
      Return Policy: Manufacturer Warranty

-$30.00 Instant

-$50.00 Combo

$409.98
$329.98

Subtotal: $1,930.87

(newegg)

solo

For $100 more you can double the ram and almost double the speed, the i7 overclocks like a sonofabitch...they say.

solo

I have decided...

Once my ship comes in....unfortunately it has to pass Somalia to get here.

I'm going for the i7, definately, even the new Mac pro will have i7's in them, and I will go for at least 12 GB DDR3 ram, maybe even more.
I will not bother with a Quadro card as the difference in performance between it and the new gtx's is not even noticable in 3D apps to justify the difference in price.

Okay now I need a few quick paying projects to afford it.

Pixero

Have you thought of building your PC yourself?
That way you usually get a lower price and can choose exactly the parts you want.
I've built two PCs and its really not that difficult.
I googled the different motherboards to see peoples reviews of them before deciding.
The only reason for buying a off the shelf PC would be if it comes with on site next day support.
IMHO.

honoluludesktop

As long as financial consideration is a factor, I too opt for 80-90 max. at a savings of 50%, then upgrade twice as often. I don't know about graphic processors, but it takes 4 times as much CPU power to go twice as fast. The difference between 3 and 3.4 ghz is about 10%, and may not be noticeable.

I work with virtual servers, and because the way drive request are made, the rule of thumb is to add a drive to separate the app, and OS from the data. Anyone know if this might apply to SU, and its data?

notareal

@pixero said:

The only reason for buying a off the shelf PC would be if it comes with on site next day support.
IMHO.

Agree 100%

notareal

@solo said:

I'm going for the i7, definately, even the new Mac pro will have i7's in them, and I will go for at least 12 GB DDR3 ram, maybe even more.
I will not bother with a Quadro card as the difference in performance between it and the new gtx's is not even noticable in 3D apps to justify the difference in price.

Okay now I need a few quick paying projects to afford it.

I was in a impression that new mac pro has Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem”... same as I suggested ealier... 2 x E5520 I can understand going in a single i7 with high clock, if you run mainly programs that do not support multi threading, like SU. Quadro is a good option if you really need excellent driver support - I have hear that in some problem cases they even have compiled a custom driver to solve a time critical problem - but usually not worth of the premium prize. GTX 275 sounds fairly impressive card. More memory is good, 12 GB sounds reasonable - just keep in mind that when running 32bit app in a 64bit win, they have only marginally more ram in use, if comparing to 32bit win.

brodie

If you hit the local lotto take a look at Benchwell.com (Maxwell Renders benchmarking website). Top on the list is a guy with 4 Intel Xeon X7350's (16 threads total) & 32 GB of RAM. Not a bad way to spend $20,000-$25,000 if you've got it.

You'll also find a lot of i7's towards the top of that list as well, though. Might give you an idea where your computer would rank in renderland.

-Brodie

notareal

Shame no dual E5520 systems at the list. i7 is impressive if overclocked, certainly most bang for the buck! But still a multi processor system is required for really high end workstation use.

solo

I have been doing more due diligence on the above topic and cemented my initial thoughts on the i7.

Some interesting finds:

While the i7 is a multi threading dream and recommended on all rendering forums as the best option right now for the fasted renders it is also a single core dream, I know this sounds too good to be true and almost impossible to have the best of both worlds...but it's true.

Turbo Mode is a potentially exciting new feature that automatically unlocks two additional multipliers and allows the processor to self-overclock based on thermal conditions and workload. If the Power Control Unit (PCU) senses that only one core is active (like when using SU) and the other three are in an idle state, it will use the unused power and thermal headroom to overclock that single active core to ensure superior single-threaded performance. Conversely, if you running a multi-threaded application, the PCU will measure the thermal headroom and if the processor is running cool enough it will overclock all four cores. Turbo Mode can overclock a single core by a maximum of two speed bins (multipliers), thus 266Mhz higher at the stock 133Mhz BCLK. When overclocking all four cores, it can increase the frequency by 133Mhz

So the i7 is a solution for heavy scene rendering, and SU, not forgetting that the new Mobo's that it uses has triple channel DDR3 ram slots...6 of them so if one loads it up with say 6x2GB or soon to come 6x4GB ram, one will have a rig that can literally handle anything one can throw at it.

Gaieus

I also have a processor with hyperthreading (although this is an older generation solution). It's 3.8 GHz so "ideal" for SU but when it comes to rendering,it acts like a dual core. Obviously this i7 is similar - just implemented in a much higher level.

notareal

E5520 and greater seems to have turbo mode too. Core i7 can compete against Xeon 55xx family only with price, features are same. Add a second Xeon 55xx and the story is different... From legitreviews:

Also E5520 has a tdp of 80, sounds like a good target for over clocking, if motherboard has any support for it.
btw Xeon W3520 is basically same as i7/920/D0 stepping and it do OC!

JHuman

Solo,
I recently bought, and built a machine for $2200. Dual Xeon processors with HT (so 8 cores and 8 virtual cores) 12gigs of DDR3, two 150gb 10,000rpm on RAID and a 1.5gig ATI Radeon HD video card, which looks like a car engine (sounds like one too). Runs nice and smooth for a PC, rather would have got my new MacPro though with similar specs, The Mac is still twice as fast. These Xeon's are built on the same technology as the i7's but have are built more robust since they are server processors, and I have found they are able to carry more processes, I have been rendering in Vray, editing in premiere and aftereffects, editing in Photoshop, email, web, music and Sketchup all going and it still hasn’t had a hiccup (except in SU since it doesnt utilize any of the HP of the machine).

honoluludesktop

JHuman, The mac pro is 2x faster then your Xeon setup? WOW, but why? Should we be considering a mac pro with Windows (I once read somewhere that because it is a Intel processor, you can install Windows on Mac hardware. Is that correct? Got to admit that I don't know a lot about hardware.)? A lot of us require a PC for reasons other then SU.

Btw, isn't HT just a form multi core that will speed up programs that are not compiled for multi core?

remus

Honolulu, you can indeed run windows natively on a mac due to the now intel based hardware. I believe stinkie currently runs this setup (or at least he used to), so you could ask him about it if your interested in it.

JHuman

Honolulu,
Windows on the MAC runs like an OS should run, fast and effecient. Which is kind of sad that Windows runs better on another platform than on its own machine, makes a lot of sense right? Run it through bootcamp and it will work awesome. It also installs all the drivers for you via the MAC OSX disk. My next machine will be another MAC, never go back to the PC, JMHO. They tend to be a little bit more pricey up front, but well worth it, they last longer and look much better. I have a G4 powerbook (1.5ghz) from about 5 years ago and it still runs just like it did the day I bought it, it is still faster than my other dual core pc (2.8ghz). Plus MACS have much higher resell than PCs. That powerbook on Macmall.com and on Ebay runs for about $1100 to $1200 used